Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Light and Darkness
by Swen Dragontoe
Summary: Two worlds. One given to humans, and one to Pokémon. Once a single world, before a great, transgressive war forced its creator to partition it into two. However, opposers of this creator's decision have formulated vile designs to bring the worlds back together. And the power they require to do so lies within the opposite world's beings: Humans.
1. Prelude

It began with a sunset.

A colorfully dappled sky. A tepid summer breeze. A world in chaste equilibrium.

As I walk out of the balcony doors, a wave of bliss and faith flows over me. I gaze

at the slowly descending sun, illuminating the sky in yellows, reds, and blues, and setting the stage for billions of stars to soon show themselves.

Desire's Sunset.

Only one evening a year does this brilliant display visit our skies, and it is visible only from the shores of our town. Its presence symbolizes desires, faith, hope for the future. Those fondled by its golden rays are said to be blessed with good fortune for the remainder of the year.

The sun's beams seemingly caressing me, I close my eyes, and a smile adorns my face. For the first time in ages, I finally feel at peace. I then open my eyes and turn around.

"Serah! It's happening!" I exclaim. Within moments, she rushes through the doors and over to my side.

"Desire's Sunset… It's come to us once again," I tell her. Together we gaze at its undying beauty, and Serah smiles.

"Claire…" she begins. "Why can Desire's Sunset only be seen from here?"

"That's what everyone wonders," I reply. "Maybe the serenity and allure of our shores reflects itself in the sky, but only at its zenith. Whatever the reason, it's a gift that we've been blessed with."

I put my hand around Serah, and we contemplate the sunset until it finally plunges below the sea on the horizon, and the first stars of the night emerge, to revel in the nascent twilight.

"Claire…" Serah says once again. "I know that things have been burdensome lately. But I believe, no… I _know_ that we can make it through this. Even when things seem forlorn, I know we'll find a light of hope in the darkness."

I turn to her. "You're right, Serah. As long as we're together, we can overcome any obstacle in our way." I open my arms, and the two of us embrace.

_As long as we're together._

The one promise I could not keep.

§§§

The grassy park fields around me are completely filled with people, some sitting on blankets, some standing, all observing the awe-inspiring sunset that lies out to sea.

"Noel… what's so different about this one sunset?" my younger sister Marceline asks.

"Well," I reply, "This sunset is brighter, more colorful, and more beautiful than any other sunset of the year. And it only happens on one day: The 13th of June."

A warm breeze kicks up, comforting me against the cold evening air. For quite a long time, all of us gaze at the sunset, knowing that it has bestowed upon us blessings of hope. Then, when the sunset finally departs, replaced by the night stars, everyone begins to leave.

"Alright, kids. Time to go," my mom tells us.

"Mom… don't call me that. You know I'm not a kid anymore," I reply.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

I chuckle, and the four of us begin the walk back to our house, in the heights of the town. On the way, I think about the sunset. What does it truly mean? Why does one sunset stand out so much more than the others? Mysteries abound in my mind, but none of them I know the answer to.

When we finally reach the house, I don't hesitate to go directly to my room, quite tired. I look down at my necklace, adorned with an amethyst gem in the shape of a fruit bat, our town's symbol. I hold the gem to my heart and close my eyes.

"Here's to a good night's sleep and sweet dreams," I say, as I always do. After removing the necklace and gently placing it on my nightstand, I climb into bed, switch off my lamp, and slowly drift off to sleep.


	2. Chapter I

**_~Noel~_**

A wave of chills rushes over me. At first it feels like a cold wind is blowing. But then I manage to open my eyes, and find that I am staring at a ceiling. I lift my head and survey my surroundings.

I am in a small room, with blue tiles covering the floor, walls and ceiling. The walls are inscribed with runes, and the floor feels slippery beneath my hands. Around me are sparkles of various hues, dancing through the air.

I see no visible entrance, as three of the walls are bare. The fourth opens into a hallway that splits into two others at its end.

Where am I? Is this a dream? It couldn't be… or I wouldn't be aware of myself… would I? If it _is_ a dream, I can't seem to wake myself up. With no place else to go, I decide to explore this strange place. I clamber to my feet and begin to slowly walk across the room and into the hallway opposing me.

§§§

**_~Delphox~_**

The three of us quickly come to a stop as we reach yet another intersection.

"Oh, great. Another one," Luc mutters. "At this rate, we'll never get out of here."

"Then we split up," I reply. "You go to the left. Helio and I will go to the right."

"But, Del-"

"Just _go!_" I exclaim. "We don't have time to argue!"

Luc sighs and starts off down the left passageway. Helio and I go to the right. We pick up speed as fast as the slippery tiles allow us.

"If one of us finds the way out, then what?" I hear Luc yell.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!" I respond. "Just hurry! No daydreaming!"

The two of us continue down the corridors, taking turns when they approach and never slowing, not even when weariness begins to overtake us. I know that we're running short on time when I see several of the glints in the air stop changing hues, and instead change to a solid red.

Eventually we turn a corner and stop cold. In front of us is a door. It is shut tightly, and on it is a crimson-colored seal, glowing intensely against the blue light of the temple.

"That's not good," I say with concern. "Sealed shut by the temple's power. There's no getting through."

"Guess we'll just have to turn around-"

"_No!_" I exclaim. "There isn't enough time, Helio. It's either we get out this way, or we don't get out at all."

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

I walk down several hallways, some long, some short. It may be my imagination, but I notice that the sparkles in the air have stopped changing color. I finally happen upon the longest hallway I've yet to see. At the very end there appears to be something glowing red, but I can't make out its shape from this distance.

I hurry down the hallway, finally reaching the strange object after thirty seconds of brisk walking. I notice that the object is actually a door, but a red barrier, adorned with what looks like a psi, covers its surface.

I touch the door in curiosity. The red glow intensifies wherever I move my hand, but other than this, touching the door seems to do nothing. I begin to turn around and find another way out when a noise sounds off behind me, and I jump.

I turn around to see the red glow on the doors receding, and the doors then opening. Behind them lies a room about the same size as the one I woke up in. At the far end of the room is… something I can't describe.

It almost looks like a square of water stuck to the wall, rippling gently. An image is visible behind the water, but the ripples make it impossible to identify.

§§§

**_~Delphox~_**

Helio continues to smack the doors and bombard them with electricity for almost five minutes, to no avail. He then musters three final rapid blows, and collapses against the doors in defeat.

"Come on…" he utters in exasperation. "Why can't anything in this place just cooperate?"

"I don't think doing that is going to make it open," I say to him with vexation.

"Oh, and you have a better idea?" he replies with equal annoyance. I relinquish my relaxed position and walk over to the door, shoving Helio out of the way.

"Move."

"What are you-?!"

I place my hand to the door and close my eyes, and the crimson glow resonates.

"I'm so sorry…" I whisper. "Please let me in. Please…"

I open my eyes. The seal fades away, and the doors slowly open.

"How did you do that?!" Helio asks in absolute confusion.

"We should hurry," I reply, ignoring his question. "We've wasted enough time already."

We run down the remainder of the hallway and turn two more corners, when we run into Luc once again.

"_There you are!_" he exclaims. " Man… This place is more confusing than the _Eclipsed Ark._"

"It's the gateway between the two worlds," I reply. "You thought it would be a leisurely stroll?"

Helio looks ready to say something, but another voice cuts him off.

"_Hello? Is anyone else here?_" the voice calls from afar. It sounds quite young, and is masculine.

"Wait, so we're not the only ones here?" Helio asks out loud.

"That heartless monster…" I growl. "Why does he feel that he has the authority to trap innocent Pokémon in this in-traversable labyrinth?"

"That kid sounds pretty young…" Luc says. "And he's alone. He'd probably have a harder time getting out of here than we would."

"Yes, we're here!" I yell towards the direction of the voice. "Just… don't move! We're coming to find you!" I lower my voice. "Luc, lead the way."

Luc nods and starts off in the direction that Helio came from. Before we can make any progress at all, a seal materializes in front of us, blocking our path.

"What?!" Luc exclaims. "Other way!" He turns around and starts running, but another seal appears in the opposite direction. We are trapped.

"Wonderful..." I growl in sarcastic exasperation. The hue of the air begins to migrate from its gentle blue to a harsh red.

"We're out of time," I say, my voice lowered. "Unless we encounter a miracle, we're done for."

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

I await a response, and after several seconds a noise responds. Unfortunately, all I hear is an undefined sound, and not words. With nothing else to do, I slowly walk towards the anomaly on the wall. It almost seems to ripple more willingly as I approach it.

I stick my finger out and touch it to the strange mass of water. It ripples intensely. I pull back to find that it isn't actual water, as my finger is still dry.

A deep rumble crescendoes behind me. I quake with fear, quickly turning around, and see the doors to the room closing rapidly. They slam shut, and another red psi envelops the door.

A vile noise begins to emanate from the anomaly, almost like a growl. After several seconds, a wave of energy rushes out from the water, knocking me over. As the wave envelops the room, the faint blue of the walls and ceiling changes to a dark, sanguine red.

"Human…" a dark, baritone voice thunders. "What business do you have here in the rift between the two worlds?"

"I…" I attempt to say something as I scramble to my feet, but I can't find the words. "I-If you don't want me here, I'll leave-"

"It is too late," the voice replies. "Your spirit has already joined with the opposite world… escape is merely a dream."

This is not a dream.

"However, your current form is quite… unfitting for this world. Treasure your final moments as you are now… for your change approaches!"

The anomaly on the wall ripples furiously. I stare at the chaotic water for several seconds, and then recoil. Two crimson chains emerge from the anomaly and surge towards me. I hopelessly rush in the opposite direction, only to stop myself at the glowing psi on the closed doors.

With nowhere left to run, the chains entangle my arms in their grasp. I try to fight it, but their hold is too powerful, and they begin to grow in length and entangle the rest of me.

Out of nowhere, a wave of incandescence rushes over me. My body begins to glow, and I feel a strange combination of pain and searing heat. In the few moments I can manage to keep my eyes open, I glimpse myself changing somehow. My arms increase in width and shape into jagged segments, like wings. The tips of my toes lengthen into claws. I feel my ears growing in length, and fur growing on my head and neck.

After what seems like ages, the pain finally subsides. The chains release me from their grasp and vanish back into the water on the wall.

I once again regain control of myself, although it is not the self I knew several minutes ago. I have been changed. I am no longer human.

The shock of all that has just happened is too much. I waver, collapse on the ground, and my consciousness fades away as I glimpse the vile water on the wall one last time.

§§§

**_~Delphox~_**

The air grows heavier with each passing minute. The two seals on either side of us are the only barriers that prevent us from escaping this house of destruction.

"There has to be a way to break these things!" Helio exclaims.

"Del! Can't you-"

"It won't work again," I reply. "You can only beg for forgiveness so many times." Luc's expression changes to one of pure anger. With precise hand movements, he begins conjuring a sphere of aura between his palms. It grows in size gradually, until it finally reaches its peak.

"Alright, Harbinger of Death…" Luc says through clenched teeth. "…Let's see if your magic can stand up to _THIS!_"

He releases the sphere. Helio and I duck in unison as it sails over our heads, slams into the crimson seal, and shatters it into millions of pieces.

"I can't believe that worked…" I say in disbelief. "Come on! The exit should be straight ahead!" The three of us sprint down the remainder of the hallway and take a sharp left, and finally, in front of us, lies the portal back to Luxae.

"Hey, hey, look!" Helio exclaims. Laying on the ground in front of us is a Noibat. "This must be that other Pokémon that was calling to us!"

Luc steps forward and closes his eyes, observing the aura of the unconscious creature.

"He's alive," Luc says, and all three of us sigh with relief. "I'll take him. Let's get out of here."

Luc picks up the unconscious Noibat, and all three of us hurry into the portal. I am the last one through, and I can clearly hear the sound of the temple collapsing as I converge with the rippling anomaly.


	3. Chapter II

_**~Noel~**_

"Come on. Wake up."

I can't quite comprehend if the voice I hear is real or not.

"Well… he's stirring. That's a start."

I feel myself being shaken lightly.

"Come on, pal! You're okay! Wake up!"

I'm finally able to open my eyes. I catch a glimpse of blinding azure sky before I quickly shut my eyes in response. I open them again, slower this time, and they adjust to the harsh light. I haven't regained my focus, but I can see three figures standing over me.

"Hey, look at that! He's awake!" the tallest figure exclaims. The world finally comes into focus, and I see that the three figures standing over me are Pokémon.

The tall one leans down to me. "You alright, buddy?" he asks. I am unable to reply, my voice not quite having warmed up yet.

Hold on a second.

This Pokémon just spoke to me. How could I understand him?

I look down at myself, and remember what had happened. I was changed into a Pokémon… a Noibat.

I begin to panic. My breathing quickens, and I feel dazed. I've been changed into a Pokémon, sent to this place… And I've already ensured myself of one thing.

This is not a dream.

"Hey, what's wrong?" the tall blue Pokémon asks, gently grasping me. I know what he is, but my mind is so clouded that I cannot think of his name.

"He was probably knocked out by the energy explosion in the temple," the middle Pokémon suggests. A prevalent frown adorns her face. "Poor thing's probably confused out of his mind."

"Listen to me," the tall Pokémon comforting me says. "Everything's going to be all right. Can you please try to say something?"

At his request, I try my hardest to calm myself and remove the fog from my mind. I am finally able to remember one thing.

"Noel," I say.

"What? Noel?" he replies.

"Noel," I repeat. "My name is Noel." After I manage to say this, the rest of the fog in my mind clears. I recognize the Pokémon standing over me as Lucario, and the other two as Delphox and Heliolisk.

"Well… good to see that you're okay, Noel," Lucario responds. "Any idea how you got up there?"

I freeze. Should I tell them the whole story? What other choice do I have? They are possibly the only ones who can help me.

"Let me start from the beginning," I say. "I'm not a Pokémon. I'm a human." The three of them stop cold.

"You're… a human…?" Lucario asks in disbelief.

"Yes," I reply. "I don't know how, but I woke up in that strange place… the place with sparkles filling the air. I heard all of you. I came to this room… a dark voice spoke to me… and these ethereal chains entangled me, and changed me into what I am now."

"Wh… what…?" the Delphox asks, her voice nearly inaudible. Shock adorns her face, and she appears to be staring into nothingness, petrified.

"Del, is something wrong?" the Heliolisk asks. Delphox snaps to her senses.

"No… no… I'm alright," she replies quietly. I watch the shock on her face transform into anger. "That… monster…" I barely hear her whisper.

"So… Noel. How old are you?" Lucario asks.

"Thirteen," I reply. Lucario's expression changes to one of concern.

"Excuse us for one second," he says. The three of them step away.

§§§

**_~Delphox~_**

The three of us move far enough away from Noel to stifle our conversation.

"Okay. Help me out here, guys…" Luc begins. "This kid is only fifteen. He must have family and friends back in the human world… We need to get him home. So how do we?"

"Why would you think _I'd _know the answer to that question?" I growl, with more ire than I intend.

"What's gotten into you, Del?!" Luc exclaims in question.

A heavy sigh escapes from me. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "Just… It's nothing." I pause, taking a deep breath. "But I don't know how to send him home. Trust me… I wish I did… but I don't."

The other two sigh. "Well, then, what do we do? What do we tell him?" Helio asks with worry.

"I'll talk to him."

All three of us turn around to see Togetic.

"Have you been eavesdropping this whole time?" I ask her with annoyance. "We'll handle this ourselves. We don't need you to-"

"Del, stop…" Luc cuts me off. He walks over to Togetic and leans down in front of her.

"Togetic… are you sure you can help him make sense of all this?" he asks her.

"Yes," she replies. "After all, he's only a year younger than me. I'm sure he'll understand me, and I'll understand him."

Luc gives a resigning sigh. "You always were a persistent one, weren't you?" he asks, half a smile adorning his face. "Alright… give it your best shot."

Togetic nods and skips over to Noel. Helio and Luc slowly follow her, but I stay behind.

"_I_ should have talked to him…" I whisper to myself, my eyes closed.

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

I don't manage to overhear any of the three's conversation. After several minutes, I stand up, after wobbling a bit, and start to walk in their direction. A forest surrounds the clearing I am in, and in front of me rest several wooden buildings. Everything feels so big… which is only because I'm now so small.

Before I can reach the three, another Pokémon skips up to me. It's a Togetic, with a friendly expression on its face. I notice that the Togetic is even taller than me, and almost wince at learning how small I now really am.

"Hi there!" the Togetic says friendlily. I notice an Australian accent in her voice.

"Hi," I reply timidly.

"No need to be shy!" Togetic says. "I heard those three talking to you. You seem pretty kind. Now… what was your name again?"

"Noel," I say.

"Togetic," she replies. "Nice to meet you, Noel!" The two of us shake hands.

"So… you're from the human world, are you?" she asks me.

"Yes…" I reply. "This all feels like a dream… but I know it can't be… right?"

"I'm afraid not," she gloomily says. "But we'll get you home soon… I promise."

I let out a heavy sigh. I certainly hope she's right.

"In the meantime, how would you like a tour of Lumina Town?" Togetic asks.

"Lumina Town… that's the name of this town?" I ask in response.

"Yep! Coziest little town in all of Luxae!" she replies. "Come along! I'll show you around."

Togetic hops off towards the center of the town, and I follow. Though my mind is full of confusion, fear, and uncertainty, I believe that she is someone I can trust.

Togetic first leads me to the most rustic-looking building in the town. A sign outside reads "Inn." We walk inside, and a bell attached to the door rings audibly.

"This is the inn," Togetic says. "Since you don't have a place to stay, I'm sure Dragonair will let you stay here for awhile."

"You think so?" I ask in response. "She would let me stay without paying?"

"I'll go ask her," Togetic says.

"Wait!" I exclaim. She turns around. "Could you… not mention the fact that I'm from the human world? I don't want to stir up any trouble."

"Of course," she replies. "It'll be our little secret." She walks over to the innkeeper.

"Good morning, Togetic. What brings you here?" the innkeeper asks.

"Well…" Togetic replies. "My friend here has… gotten lost, and can't find his way home. I was wondering if you would be okay with him staying here for a few days."

"Of course!" Dragonair agrees. She then looks over in my direction. "And who might you be?"

"Noel," I reply shyly.

"That's a lovely name," she says. "Where do you live, Noel? I know a few Pokémon who could help you get back home."

"Well… I… um…"

"We'll… talk about that later," Togetic covers for me. "For now, I'm giving him a tour of the town. I'll see you around!"

Dragonair waves a wing as the two of us leave the inn and walk over to the building directly across.

"This is the town's Café, known as Gothitelle's," Togetic tells me as we walk through the doors. "Only place you ever need to come if you'd like a good meal. And there's plenty of talkative townsfolk that come here."

I glance around the Café, noticing many different Pokémon. One group in particular that stands out is a Krookodile, Krokorok, and Scrafty all sitting together, laughing at whatever they are talking about. I make the mistake of looking at them, and they notice me.

"Hey, look!" the Krokorok says, drawing all three of their gazes towards me.

"That's Team Rabble," Togetic whispers to me. "They may look frightening, but they're actually quite well-mannered."

Of all the things to happen, the three of them stand up and walk over to us. I feel like I'm standing in front of a street gang… only now I'm about half as tall as them.

"You new to these parts?" the Krokorok inquires. "You don't look familiar."

"Yeah… what's your name, little guy?" the Krookodile asks.

"N-N-Noel," I barely manage to say. I was always shy - but in the face of these three, I feel terrified.

"Hey, no need to be afraid!" Krookodile says, his expression lightening up a bit. "Sure, we look big and scary, but we're actually pretty friendly, right guys?" The Krokorok and Scrafty both smile and nod.

"Heh…" I weakly reply, still quite intimidated. Then I notice something out of the corner of my eye. An Espurr, sitting on a bench alone. It is looking down to the ground with a melancholy expression and closed eyes.

"Togetic, I'll be right back, okay?" I say. Togetic nods, and I walk over to the lone Espurr and sit down on the bench.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I ask with concern. The instant these words escape from me, the Espurr's expression transforms from sadness to curiosity. It lifts its head, turns towards me, and opens its eyes.

I have possibly never been more startled in my life.

"You're not from this place, are you?" the Espurr asks me. His voice is quiet, calm, but almost spectral.

"No… I'm not from Lumina Town," I reply, trying to hide the fact that I'm from the human world.

"No," the Espurr whispers. "You're not from this world… You came from across the rift. Is this correct?"

"H-how did you know?" I ask, terrified.

"I can sense all whose origins are from the opposite of the rift… Who have been changed from their original form."

I take a deep breath to relax myself. "Please don't tell anyone…" I plead.

"I have no obligation to share this information…" Espurr replies. "I need it only for myself. Now, I beg… allow me to return to my sightseeing." His expression returns to its former state, and he shuts his eyes and tilts his head down once again.

What did he mean by "needing it only for himself?" And how can he know what occurs in the other world?

I lean forward, cradle my head in my wings, and sigh heavily. It seems no matter who I talk to, they can tell I'm different from everyone else.

"Will I ever fit in here?" I ask myself. Because I truly do wonder.


	4. Chapter III

_**~Noel~**_

By the time evening falls, I've been nearly fairly familiarized with all of Lumina Town. Togetic shows me the Diversity Shop, run by Kecleon, the Lumina Museum, owned by Kabutops, and the town's berry fields, tended by Florges. Finally, one last building lies in front of us.

"Last, but not least, is the town's paragon," Togetic says. "This is the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild. It's here that Luxae's exploration teams are established."

"Exploration teams?" I ask in curiosity.

"Luxae is quite the region," Togetic begins. "There's still plenty of it nobody's ever explored. To solve that problem, the Adventurers' Guild was founded. Pokémon who are passionate explorers come here to organize their own teams."

"And those teams explore the uncharted areas of Luxae?" I ask.

"Exactly!" Togetic clarifies. "The teams explore Luxae to sate their hunger for adventure, the guild is supplied with new information the region, and everybody wins!"

"Must be quite the life…" I say. "Getting to explore new places whenever you wish." I gaze up at the stars slowly materializing in the evening sky. Maybe having fear for this world isn't the best idea. Who knows how long I'll be here, anyway?

"I'm close friends with the guild's leader, Aegislash. Come on, I'll introduce you!" I follow Togetic toward the guild's headquarters. For this town's primitive architecture, it's quite the structure, illuminated against the dark of evening by candles in its windows.

As we walk inside, I notice several familiar faces. Krookodile, Krokorok, and Scrafty are on the other side of the room, and Delphox, Lucario, and Heliolisk appear to be conversing with the guild master.

"Well… looks like Aegislash is busy at the moment," Togetic says. "Guess we'll just have to wait." The two of us walk over to the guild's front desk.

"Allow me to clarify," Aegislash says. "The temple simply… collapsed?" He must be talking about the place that brought me to this world.

"Yes," Delphox replies. "And it took the gateway to the other world with it. Not that it matters… considering that no one is traveling between the two worlds, anyway."

I tremble. Does this mean I'll be unable to return to the human world?

"Very well," Aegislash remarks. "I suppose I should remove Gateway Shrine from the map, then." He picks up a pencil and writes something down. "Will that be all?"

"For now, yes," Lucario says. "Have a good evening, alright?" The three of them start toward the door, but pause when they notice the two of us.

"Oh… it's you two," Delphox says, her expression lightening up a bit. "I take it Togetic has shown you around town, Noel?"

"Yes, she has," I reply. "I think I'm a little more familiar with this place now."

"Good to hear," she replies. "Just let us know if you need anything."

"Alright. Thank you," I respond with gratitude. Though Delphox seems like the easily irritable type (Not to mention the fact I haven't seen her smile once), I know that she's truly benign at heart.

"We'll see you tomorrow, kiddo," Lucario says, and the three of them exit the headquarters.

"Aren't they quite the trio?" Togetic asks. "They call themselves Team Eternity. They've been exploring Luxae for over five years now."

"Five years…" I reply. "They must know each other pretty well."

"Oh, they do," she says. "They're all very close friends. Delphox and Lucario are the closest, though. Apparently they've known each other since they were kids."

"Did they both enjoy exploring back then?"

"I know Lucario did… Delphox was pretty solitary, though. Didn't like to talk to anyone. She's still that way today - she only ever converses personally with the rest of Team Eternity."

"Hm… why is she so isolated from everyone else?" I ask.

"Nobody knows," Togetic replies. "Some say it was something about her past… before she came to Lumina Town. I've asked her a few times, but she never answers me."

I certainly know how Delphox feels - I've always been shy, and preferred to only talk to my closest friends. And, now that I'm here, I don't feel like I can talk to anyone except for Togetic.

"Well…" Togetic begins. "I reckon it's about time we go to bed."

"You're probably right," I reply. "It's been quite the day…"

Togetic chuckles. "Shall we go, then?" She starts out the door and towards the inn, and I follow. Night has fallen, and all that guide us are the softly flickering torches spread across the town. It's quite the contrast to the metropolitan life of the human world.

When we reach the inn, I take a look at the beds. They're nothing more than wooden frames, with straw for a mattress, and a pillow.

"Something wrong with the beds?" Togetic asks, clearly noticing my disapproval.

"It's just… No. I'll make do with this," I reply. Though it's not the type of bed I'm used to, it's probably comfortable enough.

"Hey…" I ask. "Don't you have your own house?"

"It's right here," Togetic replies. "This is where I stay. Dragonair looks after me."

"Oh, alright," I say. Togetic climbs into what looks like her own bed, as I notice drawings on the wall behind it.

"Good night, Noel!" she says as she blows out the candle in between us.

"Good night," I reply, climbing into my own bed. It's much more comfortable than I had anticipated. I lay down and close my eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

§§§

Without much anticipation, I find my eyes open. I look across from myself and see that Togetic is still asleep. No sunlight finds its way through the inn's windows, so it can't be morning yet.

I try to fall back asleep, to no avail. Unable to do so, I decide to take a midnight walk around the town. I quietly climb out of bed and walk outside the inn. I shiver as the cold night air hits me, my fur clearly not thick enough to keep me warm.

I walk over to the edge of town, right before the clearing ends, and find a lone tree stump. I sit down on the stump and gaze at the sky, decorated with millions of stars.

Half of me still doesn't believe all that has happened in the past day. I found myself in a mysterious temple, I was changed into a Noibat by some monster, and I was brought here, to the Pokémon World.

I sigh heavily, turning my focus to the brightest star in the sky. Will I ever be able to return home? Delphox said that the temple we were in, which was apparently destroyed, was the gateway between the two worlds. Is there another way to return? Or will I stay here, as a Noibat, for the rest of my life? This is all I wish to know.

"The stars sure are beautiful, aren't they?" I nearly jump upon hearing Togetic's voice behind me.

"Sorry," she says. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Don't worry. Everybody here startles me," I reply, and both of us chuckle. Togetic then sits down next to me.

"So… Noel…" she begins. "What's it like in the human world?"

"Well…" I begin. "It's much more advanced than here, that's for sure. We have huge settlements we call cities, we use much different building materials, and, for the most part, we're fairly familiar with our world, so there's not many adventurers who voluntarily explore the land."

"I see," Togetic replies. She pauses for a moment. "Do you have a family, Noel?"

"Yes. My mother, my father, and my five-year-old sister Marceline."

Togetic gazes at the stars and sighs heavily. "It must be wonderful to have a family." She pauses for a long while, and her voice lowers to a whisper. "I lost my parents after I was born."

I freeze. Togetic lives at the inn. Dragonair "looks after" her. Now it all makes sense. I feel a tear in my eye.

"I'm so sorry…" I softly say, my voice barely audible. I notice that Togetic is beginning to tear up as well.

"I just don't want you to feel the pain that I have…" she whispers. "The pain of losing your family…"

Finally, neither of us can take it any longer. We embrace, both of us crying softly. The grasp of her arms fills me with warmth against the bitter night air.

"Noel…" she whispers, the softest sound I've ever heard.

"I'll get you home."

"I promise."


	5. Chapter IV

_**~Delphox~**_

A knock on my door wakes me from my sleep. With irritation, I climb out of bed and walk over to answer it.

"You ought to wait until _after_ everyone wakes up to go around knocking on doors," I say as I open the door. Nobody is outside.

"Very mature," I say. "Knocking on someone's door when they're sleeping and running away."

"I haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about…" a voice says from behind me.

"GAH!"

Gengar bursts into laughter. "It works every time!" he exclaims. "I thought you had learned your lesson last time, but apparently not!"

I cross my arms and stare at him with extreme exasperation. His laughter dies down.

"Aw… come on, Del!" he says.

"Don't call me that…"

"You need to learn to lighten up a bit! All you ever do is… frown. Do you even know how to smile?"

I sigh. "Just tell me what you came here to tell me."

"Aegislash wants to talk to you," Gengar replies. "Something about the Eclipsed Ark. Just get to the guild headquarters, and make it snappy!" He vanishes in a burst of darkness.

"Nobody understands," I say to myself. "Nobody."

I start towards the guild headquarters, thinking about what Gengar had said. The Eclipsed Ark is a peculiar structure located just outside of the forest. It's reminiscent of an ancient airship, brought to the ground for unknown reasons.

The most interesting part of the ark is the technology used to build it. Nothing else in this world looks quite like it - it's almost like technology you would find in the other world, only even more advanced. It's made of a strange, unidentified metal, and the inside consists of numerous panels, pipes, glowing lights, and other mechanisms nobody has ever seen before.

Several years ago, Team Eternity and Team Order explored part of the ark and mapped it out for the Adventurers' Guild. Unfortunately, Team Order disbanded before the mapping could be finished, and a large part of the ark was left unexplored. Aegislash must want to finally tie up loose ends and finish the mapping.

When I reach the headquarters, I see Luc and Helio already waiting inside.

"Hey there, sleepyhead!" Luc says.

"It's more like you two are the _early birds_," I reply with a smirk. "So, Aegislash… What's this about the Eclipsed Ark?"

"Ah, yes," he begins. "You recall that the mapping of the Eclipsed Ark was left hanging three years ago, correct?"

"Yeah," Luc replies. "I take it you want us to finish the job?"

"Precisely. Although I'm assuming you would like to collaborate with another team on this mission, as you did last time."

"Well…" Helio says. "Team Order was the only team that really stood out to us. I'm not sure if we'd make a good combination with any of the teams that exist today."

"Very well, then…" Aegislash replies. "I'll assign this objective to Team Eternity alone. Do you have any idea when you could begin?"

"We could probably be ready by tonight," Helio says. Luc and I nod in agreement.

"Excellent!" Aegislash responds. "Here is a copy of the current map of the ark." He hands me a paper marked with the Eclipsed Ark's layout. "I'll see you all back here when you're prepared to set off."

"Alright. Thanks," I reply.

"Take care!" Luc says to Aegislash as the three of us exit the headquarters. "Well… it's about time. It's been awhile since the last time we were sent on an exploration mission."

"Should be quite the adventure," Helio says. "I've always wondered what the rest of the Eclipsed Ark is like."

"Same here," I reply. "Somebody has to explore it, right?"

"Yep," Luc says. "And who better to do it? Not even _time_ can stop us." We form a small circle and bang our fists together in the center. "Why? Because we're…"

"Team Eternity!" we exclaim, and throw our hands into the air.

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

A beam of morning light hits my eye, and I awaken. Togetic is still next to me, although I notice she is beginning to stir as well. After several moments, she rubs her eyes and yawns.

"Good morning, Noel…" she says, stretching. A look of surprise overtakes her when she notices our surroundings. "We must have… fallen asleep while we were out here last night."

"Looks like it," I reply. I remember what happened last night, and have no desire to bring it up again. "So… what are we doing today?"

"Well…" Togetic begins. "We could explore. There's plenty of wonders hidden in the forest, and all of them are certainly worth seeing!"

"The forest?" I reply. "But… wouldn't we-"

"Don't worry! I know Candesca Forest like the back of my hand. It'll be okay!"

"Candesca Forest? Is that its name?"

"Yes. It seems like the typical, average forest during the day, but at night is when it earns its name. Otherworldly yellow orbs fill the air in the thousands, and the trees' leaves glow an eerie sky blue. Nobody knows why it happens, but it's truly an astonishing sight."

"It sounds amazing…" I reply. "Nothing like that ever happens in the human world. In fact, our world is pretty boring compared to yours."

Togetic chuckles. "So… where in the forest would you like to travel to?"

"I'm not sure," I respond. "What's the most interesting place you can think of?"

Togetic pauses for a moment in thought. "The Viridian Ruins would be a nice place to start. They're an ancient, overgrown shrine, inscribed with archaic glyphs that tell the story of how this world came to be."

"Sounds fascinating," I reply with interest. "How far away are they?"

"Not far," Togetic says. "We should be able to walk there and be back before noon. However, we'll need some supplies. You always have to be prepared when you're adventuring."

"So, we'll need food, right?" I ask.

"Yes," Togetic replies. "And it's also necessary to carry several of these special seeds. They can help out in a pinch."

"Alright. Where can we find them?"

"Kecleon sells them at the Diversity Shop," Togetic responds. "I can go talk to him if you'd be willing to get food for us."

"From the berry fields?" I ask.

"Yep! Just go ask Florges. I'm sure she'd be happy to give us some berries for our trip. I'll meet you at the entrance to the woods in a bit." She begins to leave, then turns around.

"Oh! Noel… What is your favorite color?" Quite the random question…

"Blue," I reply.

"Alright, thanks. Ciao!" She skips off towards the center of town, and I make my way over to the berry fields, unsure why she asked me such a question.

"Hello, Noel!" Florges greets me. "What can I help you with?"

"Togetic and I are going to explore the forest, but we need sustenance along the way. Could we please have a few berries?" I ask.

"Of course!" She replies, and begins to pick several berries. "Togetic is quite the lass, isn't she?"

"Yeah," I say. "She's friendlier than anyone I've met in quite a long time."

"Yes… she's especially compassionate as well. She's always looking out for others and helping them with their problems, whether they're older or younger than her. But the quality she's best known for is her optimism. Even when all looks dark, she's always sure that a light of hope will shine through. She told me that herself."

I think about these words. "If only I knew that philosophy…" I sigh. "Sometimes I find it hard to find hope. Especially now, since-" I stop myself.

"Hm?" Florges asks. I remember that I don't want to tell anyone I'm from the human world just yet.

"N-Never mind," I reply. Florges hands me a basketful of assorted berries.

"This should be enough for your trip," she says. "Good luck, and tell Togetic I said it as well!"

I thank Florges and walk over to the forest entrance. I wait for several minutes, and then Togetic returns, holding her own basketful of supplies.

"Hi!" she greets me. "I think we're ready to leave. But first, I'd like to give you something."

She reaches into the basket, and pulls out two scarves, one blue and one orange.

"Consider this a gift to celebrate our friendship," she says, and hands me the blue scarf. So _this_ is why she asked me for my favorite color.

"It's a tradition here to wear scarves like these if you're an adventurer. Whether you're simply exploring the forest or traveling to the ends of the world, adventure is adventure, right?"

I adorn my scarf, and Togetic puts on hers. "It fits perfectly," I say. "Thank you!"

"Of course!" she replies. "Now, I reckon it's about time we get going."

I nod in agreement, and the two of us start down the path into the forest.


	6. Chapter V

_**~Noel~**_

I am truly captivated by the forest around us. The farther we walk, the more it seems to absorb me… the more I feel safe and at peace.

"This may be the most beautiful forest I've ever seen," I finally decide to say. "Nothing in our world could ever compare to this."

"Pretty splendid, isn't it?" Togetic replies. "Luxae is known for its beauty. There's a reason it's called the Land of Light, you know!"

As we continue walking, thoughts begin to swirl through my mind. Thoughts of returning home, thoughts of seeing my family and friends again… as well as thoughts of remaining in this world forever. At first, I keep them to myself, but they soon overtake me, and the desire to share them is too strong.

"Togetic?" I ask as I stop walking.

"Yeah?" she replies.

"D-Do you know if there's any other gateway between the two worlds? I mean… besides the temple I was in, which was destroyed?"

She pauses for a moment in thought. "Well… I can't think of any off the top of my head… but there must be more than one, right?"

"I hope so," I respond, tilting my gaze towards the ground. "Because… I have to get back to my family. They're probably scared to death, wondering where I am."

"Well, surely there's another way to travel from one world to the other."

"I know, but what if-"

"Noel!" She puts her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it!" she says in a docile voice. "I promised you that I would get you home. And when I make a promise, I carve that promise in diamond. No force in the universe will break it. In the meantime, all we can do is see what the future brings us. Even when all seems dark, a light of hope will always shine through."

I close my eyes. "You're right. I just have to keep my head up high, and always believe that hope will find its way to me."

"That's the spirit!" Togetic replies with a smile. "Come on, then! We're nearly at the Viridian Ruins."

I nod, and we continue walking. I do my best to follow Togetic's advice - to look towards the future and never lose hope. I know that I can trust her to keep her promise, and that I have nothing to fear.

After about ten more minutes of walking through the gorgeous scenery, we arrive at at a large structure carved out of grey stone. Its front is decorated with several tall pillars engraved with runes, and its roof makes a slanted, almost rhomboidal shape.

"So, these are the Viridian Ruins…" I say. "Where do they get their name from? They don't look very… green."

"Oh… you'll see," Togetic replies with eagerness. "If you thought the _forest_ was a sight, you'll be stunned in awe by what's inside the ruins."

She leads the way through the threshold, and I follow. Nothing inside the foyer seems remarkable - just a few destroyed pots and vases, and what appear to be faded paintings on the walls, some of landscapes, and some of Pokémon I cannot recognize.

"No one knows what this place was before it was ruined," Togetic says. "Some believe it was a sort of ancient gallery, built to teach the lessons of history to all who discovered it. Which is a fitting explanation, because that's exactly what it is now."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I'll show you!" she replies, and leads us towards a staircase at the back of the room. The light from the windows of the ruins fades away as we descend, and at the base of the staircase, all I see is pure darkness.

"What is this room for?" I ask, and immediately recoil. My voice bounces off the wall and returns to me. Does using my voice count as echolocation?

"One moment," Togetic replies. She steps forward, and a green ring of light materializes around her. Other glimmers of green light begin to fill the room, and something is happening to the walls - they appear to be disappearing.

Eventually, the walls completely fade away, and behind them appears an eternal sea of stars. Flecks of green light float all around us, and fading in and out of the expanse of stars are what appear to be… strands of code. I look closer, and notice that they are not numbers, but the runes that adorned the front of the ruins.

I am so spellbound by the anomalies around us that I fail to notice one thing. There is no longer a floor beneath our feet. I momentarily panic, expecting to fall into the infinite stars, when a pathway of green light materializes beneath us. I sigh in relief.

"Th-This is…" I attempt to say. "H-How is this possible?"

"It's quite the sight, isn't it?" Togetic replies. "The Hill of Universal Order. What we're looking at is the balance of the universe, materialized into a form visible to the lone eye."

"It's… amazing…" I say in awe, for lack of a better word. "But… what was that about this place 'teaching the lessons of history?'"

"That's the easy part," she responds. "Just step forward and take a look!"

I walk past her, towards the end of the pathway. When I reach its edge, a wall of runes appears in front of me. I can barely see the top of it, it's so tall.

I gaze at the runes, wondering their meaning. Is this the written language of Pokémon?

As if on cue, Togetic approaches the wall and begins to translate the runes.

§§§

_Centuries ago, there existed a lone world. A world where Pokémon and humans coexisted peacefully. Humans adopted Pokémon as their companions, who stood by their side at times of need._

_Lamentably, this peace was but ephemeral. A great War of Jurisdiction erupted between the world's regions. Humans, with the help of their Pokémon, battled for control of the world, out of the avarice of their hearts. The world was nearly torn asunder._

_Observing the world's condition from above, Arceus, its creator, made a delicate decision. All that drove the war was the cooperation of the humans and Pokémon. To quell the fighting, Arceus separated the two beings. He partitioned the one world into two. In one world, he kept the technology the humans cherished, and gave the world to them. In the other, he removed their technology, and gave that world to the Pokémon._

_However, Arceus knew that separating the worlds eternally was a dangerous decision. So he constructed a great temple in the rift between them. Via this passageway, one could migrate from one world to the other. Though, the balance of the worlds remained intact. A being from one world, upon journeying to the other, would be changed into that world's being, as long as they remained._

_Creator Arceus's final task was elementary. He sealed the physical paths that lead to the temple. One could only enter its walls by guiding their spirit to the rift between worlds. Such an act is scarce, and is only achievable by those with an exceptionally strong will._

_Thus, the two worlds' equilibrium remains unscathed. Humans continue to advance technology in their world, while Pokémon continue to explore the world created for them, its borders still not wholly ascertained._

§§§

"So the two worlds… were once together, centuries ago?"

"That's right," Togetic replies. "It's hard to believe that humans and Pokémon were once companions… but it's true. We once found a desire to be together… but desire can lead to greed. And greed can tear a world apart."

For a moment, we both say nothing.

"Thank you for showing this to me, Togetic." I say, breaking the silence.

"Of course," she replies. "Well… I think we ought to head back to town. Wouldn't want to worry the others, would we?"

The two of us turn around and traverse the glowing platform back to its starting point. The stars fade away, the green flecks of light slowly dim, and eventually the ruins' walls close in on us once again.

We ascend the stairs back into the light of the ruins, but then stop cold. There are four Pokémon standing at the ruins' entrance. A Mightyena, Manectric, Liepard, and Houndoom.

"See? I told you they were here," the Houndoom says. "I followed 'em all the way from Lumina Town."

"Yes, yes," the Liepard follows. "We all know you're skilled at espionage. No need to tell us a fourteenth time."

"Who are you all?" Togetic asks, moving in front of me.

"We're what you call… the Null. And we've been looking for you for quite some time," Liepard responds.

"What do you want with us?" Togetic demands, becoming agitated.

"Not _both_ of you…"Mightyena sighs. "The only one we want is the short one behind you. The Noibat. Or… excuse me. I should say… Noel, the former human."

Togetic and I both recoil in shock.

"H-How did you know?!" I ask in disbelief.

"We have connections… means of figuring things out," Mightyena responds. "And we're telling you to surrender, or face the consequences."

"Now, now, Mightyena," Houndoom says. "We don't need him _just_ yet. I can easily take from him what we need without even _nearing_ him."

Houndoom closes his eyes, and waves of energy begin to emanate from him. Suddenly, I once again become wrapped in a cloak of light, although this time there is no pain. A luminous, silvery sphere emerges from my chest and floats over to the four Pokémon.

"Excellent!" Manectric says. "That's two out of three."

Two out of three?

"Now is the time for us to take him, to recover the third and final piece," Houndoom says.

"You'll have to get through me, first!" Togetic exclaims, throwing out her arms to protect me.

"Child…" Houndoom says docilely. "Intervention in divine matters is unhealthy. I suggest you step aside and allow us to take him without force, before we oblige to do the exact opposite."

"No!" Togetic exclaims in anger. "I don't know what you want to do to Noel, but I won't let you!"

Houndoom sighs. "Very well… remove her." The Mightyena and Manectric step forward. Mightyena unleashes a pulse of darkness, and Manectric fires a barrage of lightning bolts.

I shield my eyes, unable to see what will happen, but then I see Togetic create a barrier in front of us that fizzles both attacks.

"You'll have to do better than that!" she says with confidence.

"Ugh… when you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself," Houndoom says with frustration. Without warning, he lets out a devastating roar, blowing Togetic and I away at an angle, each to opposite sides of the room.

"Now's our chance! Grab him!" Mightyena exclaims. All four of them rush over to me at once.

"Noel! No!"


	7. Chapter VI

_**~Noel~**_

The four never reach me. I close my eyes and brace myself, but all I hear is a loud noise and their hollers. I open my eyes to see the remnants of a dark burst of energy, and the four knocked against the front wall in a daze.

I look towards the doorway to the staircase, and someone ascends the steps into the room. A Zoroark.

"I-I-It's Z!" Houndoom says in a panic. "Let's scram!" The four clamber to their feet and bolt out the door. Togetic walks over to the two of us.

"Are you okay, Noel?" she asks with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply. "But it was this Zoroark who saved me."

"Please… call me Z," he replies in a baritone voice. "I was wondering what the Null were up to… it seems they've been after you."

"Yeah… why did they want to capture me?" I ask. "And… what did they do to me?" I remember them extracting that sphere of silver light from me.

"They have stolen your essence," Z replies.

"My… essence?"

"Every being is composed of three Elements: Spirit, essence, and willpower." He closes his eyes, and a yellow aura forms around him. "I can sense that your spirit and essence have both been stolen from you."

"But… what does that mean?" I ask with concern.

"Your spirit defines your identity. Your essence shapes your emotions and thoughts. And your willpower drives your determination to pursue your goals. If these Elements are removed from a being, that being will begin to lose their effects in short time. When all three are gone, one cannot continue to exist."

He closes his eyes once more, and this time auras form around both of us.

"You… you are not from this world. You are a human that has been changed."

I freeze in shock.

"Your spirit must have been stolen at that moment. Without it, your human identity will slowly melt away, and when it is gone, you will be bound to this world forever. I don't know what they're planning to do with your essence… but you mustn't let them steal your willpower." He closes his eyes. "And you must retrieve your spirit and essence, at any cost."

He pauses. "Unfortunately, I must depart."

"Wait!" I say as he begins to step away. "I have so many questions… how did you know I'm from the human world? How did you know to come here? And… how did you get here so quickly?"

"Some things unknown are best left unknown," he replies somberly. "Such is the modus operandi of this world." He steps backward and vanishes in a burst of darkness.

For several moments, neither of us say a thing.

"Do… do you know him?" I finally ask Togetic.

"No…" she replies. "But we're lucky he got here when he did, right?"

I nod, and both of us are silent for a long moment. "Why did those four want to take me?" I quietly wonder. "What could they want with my spirit, essence, and willpower?"

"I don't know," Togetic replies with worry. "But we have to find them, and get your spirit and essence back."

I nod. "And, another thing… Z said that if a being's Elements were stolen, then the Elements' benefits would slowly fade away. My spirit and essence were both stolen, which represent my identity and my emotions. Does this mean… does this mean I'll lose not only my old self, but my emotions as well?"

"You won't," Togetic says sternly. "I'm not going to let _anything_ happen to you. I promise."

I glance into her reassuring eyes, and know that she's telling the truth.

"Thanks, Togetic."

§§§

**_~Delphox~_**

"So, _about_ that exploration mission tonight…" Luc groans with a grin as he stretches and takes a sip of his Oran smoothie. "You guys think we're ready for this?"

"Is that even a question?" Helio replies after a laugh. "Team Eternity is always ready for anything. Why would this be any different?"

"Luc's got a point," I say, and the others both turn to me. "We're a bit out of practice. Haven't gone exploring in a long time."

"Aw… come on, Del!" Luc says. "Stop your worrying. And whatever you do, don't let the mission overrule the enjoyment. We're not exploring to earn the support of the Guild. We're exploring for the excitement… the wonder… the thrill of beholding what nobody else has beheld before."

"He's right," Helio follows. "You might have a little fun if you just learn to perk up."

I cross my arms and lower my head. "I'll do my best…"

"Tell you what," Luc says. "After we've completed the expedition, _just_ to cheer you up, I'll be sure to use all the Poké we earn to buy you a nice hat."

I crack, and start chuckling. Sometimes Luc's jokes are just too much.

"_Delphox_… _what_ is that on your face?" he says teasingly. "Is that a smile?"

I look up at him. "Yeah… I guess it is."

"Del, you know we hate seeing you down," Helio says comfortingly. "And you're unhappy _all_ the time. Seeing you smile is like seeing a shiny Manaphy. So, do us a favor and take a little heart, alright?"

I look at the two of them and smile. "Alright. I will."

"_That's_ my Del!" Luc says, and rubs his fist against my head playfully.

"Hey!" I retaliate. "I appreciate the love, but we're in public, remember?"

"Yeah, right…" he replies with a blush and releases me. "Just having my fun, that's all."

We continue to converse for awhile, and then Gothitelle comes over to our table to collect the bill.

"Enjoying ourselves?" she asks us.

"Yep," Luc replies. "Tab's on me. Four hundred Poké flat." He hands the money to Gothitelle.

"Thank you," she replies, and looks over to me. "My, Delphox… you certainly look happier than you've been in quite a long while."

"Yeah," I reply. "Mister Luc here promised to buy me a new _hat _after our mission. Nothing better than that, right?" All of us laugh.

"Well… we should probably be going," Luc says as we get up and walk towards the door. "Say hi to Team Rabble for me, alright? Tell 'em Luc is gonna share the story of our expedition with the _entire_ Guild."

"Of course," Gothitelle replies. "Have a safe trip, you three!" We all wave to her as we walk out the door.

"Alright, comrades," Luc says. "I'll see you all at the Guild at sundown. Be sure to gather all the supplies you'll need.

"Can do!" Helio replies. I nod as well.

"Just remember," Luc follows up. "Even _time_ is no match for us." We form our familiar circle. "Why? Because we're…"

"Team Eternity!" we exclaim, throwing our hands into the air once more.

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

Togetic and I finally arrive back at Lumina Town by the late afternoon. The light begins to yellow as the sun dips lower in the sky.

"So, what now?" I ask Togetic. "We have to find those four and get back my Elements, but how?"

"I don't know…" she replies. "I couldn't begin to wonder where they are now."

Out of nowhere, a strange, dark purple wisp appears in front of us. It remains motionless for several seconds, and then darts towards a cluster of trees near the forest's entrance.

"Stay here," I tell Togetic. She nods, and I follow the peculiar flame.

Eventually it leads me to an area completely shrouded by the trees' shade. The wisp wavers, and I recoil as it transforms into a Zoroark.

"Z? Is that you?" I ask.

"Yes," he replies. "I've come to you because I am in need of your help."

I tilt my head in confusion. "Really? Why do you need my help?" He lowers his head and closes his eyes.

"Noel… There are evil forces at work in this land. The very same forces which brought you to this world threaten to destroy it."

"What?!"

"Yes… I speak the truth. This world's state is in jeopardy. The lives of its entire population are at risk. If action is not taken, this world will soon cease to exist."

"And… you need my help to stop this?" I ask.

"Indeed," he replies. "The answers all lie in a single place. The anomaly ahead of this world's time, known as the Eclipsed Ark."

"The Eclipsed Ark?"

"It is a fallen air vessel, built of technology resembling that of the human world. The answers to this world's dilemma all lie within its confines."

"But… how do I get to it?" I ask in confusion.

"Three Pokémon you know, Heliolisk, Lucario, and Delphox… they are determined to explore the ark, when the sun falls tonight. You must find a way to go with them. Get to the Eclipsed Ark, and find the information necessary to halt this world's demise."

I stare into his desperate eyes for several moments, and then nod. "I will. I'll go to the ark, and I'll help you save this world."

He puts his hand over his heart. "There is one other reason I wish for you to do this. Inside of the ark… somewhere beyond its numerous confluxes… there is one remaining link to the human world."

My eyes widen.

"Within that ark is your final hope of returning to the world we once knew."

"Th-There's a way back to the human world in that ark?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes. And should you find this passage, you will be able to return to the life you once knew."

Only one reply finds my lips. "You can count on me."

"Thank you, Noel…" Z replies.

"But… how do you know this world's fate? How do you know there's a path between the worlds inside the ark?"

"I repeat this world's axiom," he says. "Some things unknown… must remain unknown."

And with that, he's gone.


	8. Chapter VI-2

The warm breeze of the night sways the nearby palm trees, the waves below crash onto the shore, and the nascent sunset dapples the sky with yellow, red, and blue.

In my hands rests a lone dandelion puff.

I slowly step forward towards the edge of the white balcony, and gaze into the sky at the newly-emerging stars. The brightest star in the sky shows itself before all the others - a glittering anomaly of cyan light.

I fix my gaze on this star. It almost seems to twinkle brighter when it meets my eyes.

"I know I ask this a lot…" I say out loud. "Every single month, when you come out of hiding and show yourself."

The warm wind gently grazes my face. "But this time… I'm wishing harder."

I close my eyes, finding that they are wet. Every time, I've promised myself I wouldn't mourn her, though I've yet to fulfill that promise.

"Please…" I whisper, holding the dandelion to my heart. "I haven't given up hope. I've kept you in my memory, and I've kept believing…"

"So, promise me… promise me that you're safe. Promise me that you'll come home."

"Promise me that… some day… I'll see you again…"

I release the dandelion from my grasp, and the wind carries it towards the sunset, scattering its spores across the painted sky. When I glimpse the last of them vanishing into the sunset, I fall to my knees in tears.


	9. Chapter VII

**_~Noel~_**

I promptly return to Togetic and tell her everything I've just heard.

"This world is in danger of destruction?" Togetic replies in shock. "Well, we've got to stop it!"

I nod. "We have to find a way to get those three to bring us with them." I peer off to the side and notice them standing together at the center of the town.

"Do you think we should go ask them?"

"Worth a try," Togetic replies. We start off in their direction, but then they start to leave. We start running to catch them.

"Wait!" Togetic shouts, and they turn to us.

"Oh, hello, you two," Delphox says as we approach. "What's the hurry?"

"Well…" Togetic begins. "You're going off to explore the Eclipsed Ark tonight, right?"

"Yeah, we're-" Lucario begins, then stops. "Wait, wait, wait. How did you know we were going to the Eclipsed Ark?"

Togetic and I look at each other, unsure of what to tell him.

"We… heard it from Gothitelle," Togetic replies cleverly. "And we were wondering if we could come with you."

"You wanna come with us to the _ark?!_" Heliolisk exclaims in response.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second," Lucario says, waving his hands. "I don't know about you kids going to a place like the ark. It's way too dangerous."

Togetic scowls, and I get the feeling she's heard that response countless times before. "No… we have a good reason," she says. "It's because-" I pull her towards me, stopping her in the middle of her sentence.

"I'll tell them," I say. Togetic looks confused for a moment, but then nods in agreement, catching on to my logic. I decide to only tell them about the link to the human world. If I tell them about the threat to their world, it may throw everyone into a panic.

"A Zoroark approached me," I say to the three Pokémon towering over me. "He told me that there's one last remaining way back to the human world, and it's inside the Eclipsed Ark."

Delphox freezes.

"Wh… what?" she asks quietly, staring off into nothing.

Lucario covers his face with his hand and sighs. "Alright, Noel…" he says with an exhale. "I know you're desperate to get back home, but you don't know the Eclipsed Ark. It's filled with strange armaments and security devices, and they're anything but pleasant. It's not a place that you should-"

"We're bringing them."

"What?" Lucario turns to Delphox with confusion.

"I said, we're bringing them."

"Del, you're not the one I'd expect to jump to decisions-"

"LUC!" she exclaims, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just trust me. I'll keep them safe."

"O-kay…" Lucario replies, puzzled, brushing Delphox's hand off his shoulder. "Well… looks like you two are coming with us."

"Great! Thanks," I reply.

"So, we're leaving at sunset," Lucario says. "Might want to gather some supplies before we head off. Could be a long walk."

I nod. "Togetic, we have some supplies left over, right?"

"Sure do!" she replies. "Plenty of food, and we still have all our seeds."

"Great, so I think we're all set," I say to the others.

"Meet us at the Guild right at sundown," Delphox says. "We'll need to inform Aegislash that you're tagging along with us."

"Alright. We'll be there," I reply.

"See you then, kiddos!" Lucario says, and the three of them wave and walk off.

"Well, Noel…" Togetic says. "Looks like we're going on our first real adventure."

"Yeah," I reply. "I've always wanted to go on an adventure. But, like I said, our world is _pretty_ boring."

Togetic chuckles. "Maybe it's not your world that's boring, but ours that's just… extra interesting!"

"Heh, never thought of it that way," I reply. I gaze off through the forest, wondering what could possibly lie beyond its barriers. Though being in this unfamiliar world has been frightening, I can't help but feel intrigued by its differences from the human world.

§§§

When the sun finally sets, Togetic and I make our way over to the Adventurers' Guild. When we walk inside, we see Delphox, Lucario, and Heliolisk already speaking with Aegislash.

"…No, you don't understand," I catch Delphox continuing. "It's imperative that you let them come with us."

"I candidly cannot condone them accompanying you, if you don't provide me with a valid reason," Aegislash replies. Delphox sighs in frustration.

"Aegislash," Lucario says. "We're taking on this mission _alone_, just for the Guild's benefit. And we've helped you out countless times in the past. Can't you just do us this _one_ favor?"

Aegislash sighs, and writes something down on his paper. "Very well. They may accompany you on your mission."

Lucario turns towards the door and notices us. "And here they are now," he says as we walk over to them. "So, you two ready to go?"

"We certainly are!" Togetic replies. "Right, Noel?" I nod in agreement.

"Alright, then. We're heading out, Aegislash. We'll be back by tomorrow."

"Best of luck to you all," Aegislash says as the five of us walk out the door.

"Alright," Lucario begins. "To get to the ark, we'll have to travel down the northwest path of the forest. We should pass Lake Echo along the way." The three of them suddenly take off running.

"Hey, wait!" Togetic exclaims as we hurry to catch up to them.

"If you wanna be an explorer, you've got to always be quick on your feet!" Lucario shouts back.

§§§

After about an hour of running on and off through the forest, the air begins to administer a blue tint.

"How far have we gone?" Togetic asks.

"Lake Echo _should _be straight ahead," Lucario replies. "And, if I'm not mistaken, it's about time for the forest to light up."

"Light up?" I ask, confused. Then I remember what Togetic told me, about the yellow orbs filling the air, and the trees' leaves glowing cyan against the night's darkness.

We finally reach a large lake, but it's unlike any I've ever seen. Its surface almost appears to be glowing, giving the air its hue, and strange swirls of blue light dance above its waters.

"And there it is," Lucario says. "Suppose we could take a break here. I _am_ a bit tired myself."

The three of them congregate near a large tree, while Togetic and I walk over to the lake's shore and sit down comfortably, gazing at the anomalies above the lake.

"This is amazing," I say. "I know I've said this a lot, but… nothing in our world could _ever_ compare to this. Our lakes don't cast a blue glow, our forests don't fill with yellow orbs that illuminate the night… Being in this world has been an astounding experience. But the best part of it all was meeting you, Togetic. You're a friend like none other I've ever had."

She smiles. "So are you, Noel. I don't know how long you'll be here, but I'm going to try to enjoy every moment of it."

The air suddenly begins to display a yellow tint. Small orbs start to materialize, and within moments the entire forest is flooded with golden light. Then the trees' leaves begin to change as well, glowing a bright cyan.

"Wow…" I say in awe. "So _this_ is why it's called Candesca Forest."

"Yep! No one knows why this happens, but it's quite the sight!"

The orbs in the air dance around wildly, and they almost appear to be synchronizing themselves with the anomalies above the lake, creating a spectacular display.

"There's so much light…" I say. "Is all of Luxae like this?"

"Yes," Togetic replies. "But no other place puts on a show quite like this one."

We watch the splendor of the forest's display for several more minutes, and then decide that our break is over.

"Just a hop, skip, and a jump, and we'll be at the ark," Heliolisk says, and we continue along the forest's path.

§§§

I finally glimpse a strange structure in the distance. It looks almost like a huge airship, made out of green-blue metal, but crashed into the ground and damaged. I see a gaping entrance facing us as we approach it.

"There it is," Lucario says. "The Eclipsed Ark. Luxae's own slice of otherworldly technology."

"I've never seen it in person…" Togetic says. "It looks different than I'd imagined."

"So, this Zoroark…" Delphox says to me. "He told you that, inside that ark, there's a way back to the human world?"

"Yes. That's what he said," I reply.

"Well, then… I guess we know where to look for it. The areas we haven't mapped yet."

Delphox, Lucario, and Heliolisk take the lead, walking up the ramp leading into the ark's massive entrance. Togetic follows, and I'm the last one through. As I approach the threshold, I turn around with paranoia, a strange feeling overtaking me that I'm being watched.

Nobody is behind us, so I dismiss the thought.


	10. Chapter VIII

**_~Delphox~_**

As we enter the ark's vestibule, memories of its complex layout from two years ago come flooding back to me. I dismiss the thought of getting lost, since the three of us found our way through Gateway Temple mere days ago.

"Okay," I begin. "Last time we were here, we mapped the eastern branch of the ark, correct?"

"The map is always right," Luc replies, handing me the map Aegislash gave us. Its right side is filled with a mess of lines and markings, while the left side is blank.

"Alright. Helio, I'll let you lead the way and do the mapping," I say, giving him the map and the pencil Aegislash gave us.

"Righto. These frills were made for sensing a path. Not that you didn't know that," he replies with a smirk, and takes the lead. We reach the end of the vestibule and take a left, venturing into the sector of the ark we've yet to explore.

The blue lights on the walls turn on as we pass them, and several mechanical doors open automatically as we approach.

"How did this technology get here?" Togetic asks. "This is nothing like the way we build things."

"No one knows," Luc replies. "Some say it's leftovers from when the two worlds were separated, and it somehow managed to stay in this one."

"Well, it's quite the piece of architecture…" Togetic says, tapping on one of the blue lights in curiosity.

"That can't be right," Noel says in response to Luc's statement. "Not even _our_ world has technology like this."

"Well, y'know, the one world that existed before these two probably had more advanced technology than yours," Luc replies, "or else it wouldn't have been so easy for the regions to war against each other. That's why Arceus dumbed it down when he split the world in two."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Noel says, and pauses for a long moment. "But… what were the regions fighting over? Were they selfish, and each wanted to rule the entire world?"

"Probably," Luc responds. "Humans are _weird_. All they ever want to do is take control of everything." He realizes what he just said and turns to Noel. "No offense, kiddo."

"That's alright," Noel replies. I stare at Luc with vexation.

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing…"

Eventually, we reach a conflux of three paths.

"Saw that coming…" Helio says with a sigh. "Split up? Del and I to the left, Luc down the center, and these two to the right?"

"_No, no no no no no,_" Luc says, waving his hands. "You want those kids to go _alone?_ I'll go with them. You take the center, and Del'll take the left."

"Sounds good," I reply, and start down the left path. There are many curves along the way, and after awhile I doubt I'm even walking in the same direction.

The conduit eventually straightens, and a dead end is revealed. I walk up to it and examine the wall, but I find nothing of the type that Noel explained. I decide to turn back, having nowhere else to go. That's when the lights turn off.

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

"So, Noel… you making the most of your unexpected trip to this world?" Lucario asks me.

"Yeah. It's been quite the adventure," I reply. "I mean… I still want to know who changed me into a Noibat and brought me to this world… and why."

"I wish I knew, kiddo… But there's plenty of mysteries in this world, some which'll never get figured out."

"Mysteries just like this one," Togetic says. "The ark, I mean. Who built it, and what was it for?"

I shrug. "All I know is that there's nothing like it in our world. Sure, we have airships, but none built like this. I don't even recognize the metal this thing is made out of."

For several minutes we press on through the passageways, taking several turns. I may be seeing things, but the ceiling appears to be creeping lower and lower as we advance farther into the ark. We reach another auto-opening door, and I make the mistake of walking through first. When I reach the other side, the door immediately closes behind me, and the blue lights on the wall turn off, leaving me in darkness.

"Noel!" I barely hear Togetic shout, the metal on the door dampening the sound. Lucario bangs on the door furiously, to no avail.

"Don't worry, Noel! We'll get you out of there!" Lucario says.

"Just stay there! I'm gonna try to find a way out from this side!" I shout in response. At first, all I see is darkness, but then I remember that I'm capable of echolocation. Using the sound waves of my voice, I follow the dark conduits, trying to find a passage that loops back around to where we just were.

After a very long while, I approach a turn, and see a faint blue light. I poke my head around the corner, and see that a blue prism is the source of the light. It is sitting in the middle of a large room, slowly rotating and emanating a soft hum.

The room appears to be empty, so I cautiously turn the corner and walk up to the prism. It appears to be radiating a field of energy, the air around it weakly vibrating. In curiosity, I gently touch the prism.

A beam of light explodes out of its tip, which fans out into a screen of light. For several seconds, nothing happens, but then I recoil.

An image of me as a human appears on the screen.

"Well, would you look at that!"

I jerk my head around, and the Null step out of the shadows on the other side of the room.

"That fellow looks familiar, doesn't he?" Houndoom says. "That, right there, is exactly why we require your Elements."

"You…" I growl. "You're the four who stole my essence."

"Indeed," Manectric says. "And do you know why we're here?"

I don't say anything.

"It's because we require your willpower," Mightyena says. "And a friend of ours told us you were coming to the ark."

"A friend?" I ask in confusion. "Who told you?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Liepard says with a grin. The four part themselves, and out of the shadows walks a familiar face.

Z.

"Z…" I attempt to say, in utter shock. "You've been with them this whole time?"

"Child… do not call me by that name," he replies in a completely different voice. "That was simply a pseudonym I took to bring you here." A light envelops him, and he transforms.

"My name is Mewtwo. I am the prophet of Death's Harbinger, Yveltal. And now…" He points a finger at me.

"I must bring you to my lord, so that he may extract your willpower."

"Why?!" I exclaim in anger. "Why do you need my Elements? Why was I changed into a Noibat, and brought to this world?! I want to know!"

He smiles, and steps forward. "Very well. I have no need to hide the truth from you any longer."

§§§

"Long ago, Creator Arceus divided the warring world in two. In one half, he left the humans, and the other he gave to the Pokémon. However, he wanted to affirm that such a war would never again occur. So he created two guardians to oversee the order of the Pokémon world: Xerneas, guardian of life and light, and Yveltal, guardian of death and darkness.

"For many years, these two sacred guardians maintained the world's balance of mortality. Xerneas granted a spirit and soul to all living things born into the world, and Yveltal delivered the souls of the deceased to their oblivion. Their authority was unopposed, and the worlds' equilibrium remained secure.

"However…

"Yveltal did not agree with Creator Arceus's decision to partition the world. He believed that a single world, shared by humans and Pokémon, was the only ideal. He called the two worlds corrupt and wracked, and stated that Pokémon and humans were created to exist together.

"So, Yveltal crafted a proposal. A proposal to unite the two worlds once more.

"Using his power, he would channel the energy of the human world into ours. The massive imbalance of energy would throw the worlds out of equilibrium, and they would both collapse into oblivion.

"When this occurred, no world, no matter, no living beings, would remain for Creator Arceus to govern. Thus, he would be left with a single choice.

"Create a new world. A world shared by humans and Pokémon. Just as existed centuries ago. Yveltal's desires would finally be fulfilled.

"But how would Yveltal transfer energy from the human world into the Pokémon world? He would need to channel this energy through the Elements of a being. But not just any being… a human.

"By utilizing the Elements of a human, Yveltal could harness their power, and channel the energy from one world to the other.

"So, for many years, Yveltal has searched the opposite world… searched for humans with particularly strong Elements. He found several, but his power at the time was limited. He had no way to reach out to their world.

"That is why we came to him.

"The five of us follow his ideals. We too believe that humans and Pokémon are worthless beings alone, and can only display their true potential when united.

"So I reached out to Yveltal. I offered him my power. Using this power, he has infused his vision into the dreams of several particular humans, and brought them to this world. He then claimed their spirit, evaporating their human identity, transforming them into Pokémon. Yveltal then branded us as the Null, and ordered us to seek these humans and deliver to him their Elements.

"Several of these humans still exist in this world. Only when they arrived could Yveltal judge the value of their Elements. Thus, if he did not deem them useful, he would simply leave them in this world for the rest of its existence.

"For years, Yveltal carried out this process. Yet he did not find any humans useful to his proposal.

"And then, he finally succeeded. He found a single human whose Elements were strong enough to channel the energy of the human world into the Pokémon world.

"That human…

"Is you, Noel.

"Using your Elements, Yveltal will siphon the energy from the human world into ours, eliminate the two worlds' equilibrium, and destroy them both. Only then will Creator Arceus resort to creating a new world. A world where Pokémon and humans live together in harmony. Where malfeasance and corruption do not exist.

"This, Noel, is your only purpose."


	11. Chapter IX

**_~Noel~_**

I remain silent for several seconds, breathing heavily. A mixture of shock and anger adorns my face.

"You… you want to destroy not just this world, but _both_ worlds?!"

Mewtwo smirks. "Our desire is to destroy these worlds because they are _corrupt._ The birth of a new world, free from the separation of humans and Pokémon, will end all's contempt."

I feel disgusted. "And to do this, you'd be willing to sacrifice the lives of millions… human and Pokémon?!"

"Child… the end justifies the means." He slowly approaches me. "And Yveltal requires all three of your Elements to fulfill these means. In this world… you are merely a pawn in his master design."

"I don't care what you do to me…" I growl. "I will never allow you to use me for the worlds' destruction!"

Mewtwo laughs. He walks up to me, snaps his fingers, and holds out his palm. I gasp in shock when an orb appears in his hand. In the orb is an image of me standing next to my family.

"Noel…" Mewtwo says, a sinister smile adorning his face. "Allow Yveltal to use your Elements, and he promises that your soul will be reborn in the new world. As will those of your family.

"_However…_" He snaps his fingers once more.

I disappear from the picture.

"Should you refuse… your fate is set in stone. You shall remain in this world for the rest of your life. Never again will you see the faces of yourfamily."

"Noel… is that what you really want? Is that what your family really wants?"

I don't know what to say. I would rather stay in this world for the rest of my life than be the cause of both worlds' destruction.

But… is that what everyone wants?

Mewtwo closes his eyes, and a yellow aura forms around me. Within seconds, I begin to feel staggeringly weak. I eventually fall to my knees, unable to stand.

"Take him," Mewtwo orders the rest of the Null. "Our designs will not be interrupted by his resolve."

The four walk towards me. With my strength crippled by Mewtwo's power, I deem that it is over.

Then, out of nowhere, a sphere of light forms behind the four with a monstrous noise. They turn around, shock on their faces.

"No… this… can't be!" Mewtwo exclaims. The sphere grows larger and larger, engulfing the room in pure white light and forcing me to close my eyes. The last thing I hear before everything goes black is a massive explosion.

§§§

I open my eyes, and all I see in front of me is violet-colored darkness. Then, I look down at myself.

I am human again.

I've barely calmed myself of the shock when a light materializes a short distance away. After a few seconds, it subsides, and my family is standing in front of me.

"Mom… Dad… Marceline…" I say in complete disbelief. My mother smiles.

"Don't worry, Noel," she says. "Everything's going to be alright." She holds out her hand for me to take. I slowly approach her.

"Noel," a familiar voice says from behind me. I turn around and see Togetic.

"You're… not going to leave me… are you?"

I don't know what to do. On one side of me is my family, whom I fear I may never see again. On the other is Togetic, pleading me not to leave her, despite her promise that she would help me get home.

Who do I go with?

I vacillate between the two choices for what seems like an eternity, and then I know I've spent too long. I hear bells begin to toll, and I am enveloped in light. Within seconds, I am transformed into a Noibat once again.

"The end is at hand," I hear Mewtwo's voice echo. "Your spirit has departed. Your identity has been extinguished. And existence's expiration date looms over all who reside in the two worlds…"

A brilliant flash of blue light envelops both sides of me. I then swivel my head both directions to see my family, and Togetic, turned to crystal.

"And when the end transpires…" Mewtwo's voice thunders, "The dreams and hopes of all the living will shatter!"

The crystals of my family and Togetic shatter into millions of pieces.

"NO!"

§§§

I jolt my head up from the soft grass, breathing heavily. After I manage to calm down, I notice that I'm somewhere in Candesca Forest, the yellow and cyan of the night's rite illuminating the darkness around me.

In concern, I look down at myself. Just as I had feared, I am still a Noibat. Everything that had just happened was nothing but a dream.

All I can think about is Togetic. She wouldn't break her promise and fill me with guilt, in order to get me to stay in this world… would she?

No. She wouldn't.

I stand up, and survey my surroundings. I can't see the ark or Lumina Town anywhere, and have no sense of direction. I decide to start walking forward and see where the forest leads.

After a few minutes of wandering through the trees, I barely make out a flash of color among the orbs in the air.

It's Delphox.

She's standing in the middle of a clearing, seemingly doing nothing. With nothing else to do, I approach her.

"I'm sorry, Noel…" she says, turning around to face me. "I never should have let you come with us. None of this would have happened."

"No," I reply. "It's not your fault. You're not the one who… Hold on. Mewtwo's plans… have you known about them all along?"

"I didn't know Yveltal was involved. I didn't know he was conspiring to obliterate both worlds. But I _have_ known him and the Null. He's the one who transported Luc, Helio and I to Gateway Temple." She gasps in realization.

"So that's why he sent us to the temple. He needed us to bring you into the world after you were transformed." She looks down and sighs heavily.

"And… Mewtwo is also the one who…" She pauses. "No. Never mind."

"What's wrong, Del?" I ask, unintentionally calling her by her short name.

"Don't worry about it."

"Del, you can tell me anything," I persist.

"_Noel, I said don't worry about it._" Anger begins to surface in her voice.

"If there's a problem, then tell me! We'll figure it out together!"

"I _really_ don't need your help."

"But, Del-!"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She seizes the wand from her cloak and swings it in an arc in front of her. A raging wall of fire forms between us.

For a very long moment, both of us stand, paralyzed by fear. Me out of what just happened, and Del out of what she just did.

"What… have I become…?" Del says quietly, staring down at her hands. "Am I… Am I nothing more than a monster?"

She waves her hand, and the wall of fire disappears. She stands still with indecision.

Then she starts running away as fast as she can.

"_Del, wait!_" I yell. But she keeps on running.

Out of pure instinct, I run after her. But she's too fast for me to keep up, and I end up losing her. Then I realize that I'm still lost in the forest, and now there's nobody to show me the correct way.

I continue walking forward, unsure if I'm headed in the direction of Lumina Town, or simply off into the middle of nowhere. I keep hearing strange noises, and my paranoia escalates as time goes on. The forest is nearly entirely illuminated, so I'm not sure where they're coming from.

I eventually find myself at the center of another clearing. I look around, but still see no signs of nearby civilization. Then, in an act that nearly gives me a heart attack, countless Excadrill tunnel out of the ground, forming a circle around me. Then several Hawlucha descend from above and fill the gaps. I am surrounded.

"We've got you now!" one of them exclaims, and several others follow with their own clamors.

"You are surrounded!"

"Surrender now!"

"Nowhere to run, Noel!"

They begin to close in on me, and my hope of escape evaporates. But just as they are about to seize me, a brilliant wave of fire sweeps through the air towards us. I duck, but the others aren't so fast. The fire knocks them all over.

They uprise quickly, and this time try to draw me into a corner. But, in my range of sight and not theirs, Delphox is charging towards them, engulfed in flame.

Before they can even turn around, she rams through them, scattering them throughout the clearing.

"You alright?" she asks me with heavy breaths.

"Yeah…" I reply. We both turn around and see the Excadrill and Hawlucha getting up once again.

"It's _her!_" one of the Excadrill exclaims. "She was one of the useless ones, wasn't she?" I have no clue what he means.

"Mewtwo'll be impressed if we bring _two_ of them back!" one of the Hawlucha remarks, and they charge at us once again.

Delphox draws her wand. "Ready?" she asks me. I nod. The horde draws closer.

"NOW!" she exclaims, and unleashes a surge of fire, while I simultaneously bombard them with a blast of sonic energy. The combined force of our attacks is enough to blow all of our enemies back, knocking them out cold.

Both of us breathe heavily for several moments. "Well done," Del tells me.

"Thanks for coming to help," I reply. "But… Del… what happened back there? And what did that Excadrill mean when he said that you were 'one of the useless ones?'"

Del sighs very heavily, and walks a few feet away.

"It's time I stopped hiding the truth. It'll do nothing bring me more pain." She puts a hand over her heart. "Noel…"

She turns around and looks me in the eye.

"My name is Claire Reynard. And I am also from the human world."

I don't know how I manage to hide my shock, but I somehow keep my expression straight, and do nothing but continue to listen to her words.

"Yes… I've suffered the same fate as you. I was transformed into a Pokémon, for nothing but the purpose of using my Elements to end the two worlds.

"Yveltal, however, did not have a use for me. To him, I was expendable… I was garbage. But did he care that he had taken me away from my home?

"No, he did not. So he left me here, in this world, to be lost. For the rest of my life. Never again would I return to the world I once knew, or the identity I once held. I've been in this world for five years now.

"But, despite Yveltal's refusal of my elements, Mewtwo still stole my essence. At first, I felt no difference. But as the years passed, my emotions began to wither away.

"And now… they have completely vanished. I cannot feel happy. I cannot feel sad. I'm nothing more than a hollow shell, void of an identity… void of emotions. Yveltal has torn me asunder, and I no longer deserve to be called a living being."

Despite my attempts to fight back the tears, I eventually give up trying.

"Five… years…" I barely manage to say. "My struggle in this world is absolutely nothing compared to yours…" I dry my eyes with my wings, and another question comes to me.

"Claire… do you have a family in the human world?"

She exhales heavily, as if she's about to break into tears, but I know she can't.

"Yes…" she sighs. "And she's the one thing I promised _both _of us I would never lose. My sister, Serah.

"A long time ago, I had a falling out with my parents. So Serah and I moved far away. I tried my hardest to sustain us both until she grew old enough to fend for herself.

"But despite all this, neither of us saw _any_ of this coming. We've now been separated for five years. And what pains my heart the most… is that neither of us know. Neither of us know the circumstances of the other.

"Serah probably thinks I'm dead. And for all I know… she could have thought this, and then died of grief. Or… she could still be alive, as well as know that I still am. But whatever she thinks… we both know that going on with life is near futile when we're not together.

"But I've kept going. I've kept my head held high. Because I made a promise that, someday… the two of us would see each other again."

§§§

_Seven years ago..._

The gleam of the sunset bathes the entire shoreline in gold, and the warm summer wind gently strokes our faces.

"Our sunsets sure are beautiful," Serah says. "It's like they're… paintbrushes, and the sky is their canvas."

"That's what makes this place special," I reply. "It's only here that the setting sun puts on a display you can remember for the rest of your life."

For awhile, we watch the sun slowly depart from the sky, the darkness of the coming night slowly descending upon us.

"Sis…" Serah says. "Have you heard those stories? You know… the ones about… another world, but separate from ours?"

"Hm?" I respond in curiosity.

"They say it's a wondrous place filled with magic, unlike anything you'd see in our world. And it's inhabited by creatures known as… Pokémon."

I tilt my head at the sound of the word. "Pokémon… it sounds… familiar somehow."

"Yeah," Serah replies. "I can't really explain it, but… I just have a hunch that those stories, somehow, are true."

"Well… I wouldn't rule out the possibility," I say. "Mysteries and wonders abound in this universe. And just remember that, no matter what anyone tells you, the impossible can always become possible. All you need to do is believe."

"You're right!" Serah replies. "Because sometimes… your dreams find a way to come true, right?"

"Right," I reply with a smile. The two of us gaze off into the sunset, and I ponder the thought of another world adjacent to ours. Could it really be possible?


	12. Chapter X

**_~Noel~_**

The morning light finds its way through my eyelids, and I slowly open my eyes, glimpsing the green hue of the trees. After a stretch and a yawn, I find that Claire is not next to me, and figure she must have already woken up.

I look around the clearing, and notice a small lake in the distance, at the end of a path through the trees. I decide to follow the path in hopes of finding Claire. When I reach the lake, I see her, sitting next to the water's edge.

"Good morning," I say.

"Morning," she replies, without turning around. I notice that she's stirring the water in the lake with her wand, creating a gentle cloud of steam ascending towards the sky.

"If we follow this stream, we'll be heading in the direction of Lumina Town," she says. "We should be able to get back pretty quickly."

"But, what about the others?"

"All we can do is hope that they've found each other. Luc and Helio both know the way back."

"But, what if they-"

"_Noel!_" She turns around, irritation on her face. "There's nothing we can do. Our best bet of finding them is going back to Lumina Town."

I nod, and gaze over at the seemingly endless river protruding from the small lake. "Alright. I'm with you." Claire stands, and we start off along the bank of the river.

"Stay on your toes," she advises me. "Mewtwo's goons are probably still after us."

As we walk, endless questions begin to find their way into my mind. I unexpectedly find myself asking the first.

"Claire, were you always a Delphox? I mean, when you were brought to this world?"

She sighs. "No. I was a Braixen when I first came here. But that was when I was seventeen. I've matured since then." A flash of shock suddenly appears on her face. "I just remembered… Today is my twenty-second birthday."

For a few moments, she says nothing. "Serah and I would always take a long evening walk on the beach together on our birthdays. We would tell each other our thoughts about our year on the planet that had just passed… about all the miracles and hardships we'd encountered."

She looks up to the sky. "As for this year, as well as the last five…" She puts her hand on her heart. "Only two things have kept me on my path. One is the sheer possibility of returning to the human world… of seeing Serah again. And the other is Team Eternity."

I tilt my head in confusion, then realize what she means. "So, Luc and Helio… they've stuck with you all these years, haven't they?"

"Yeah," Claire replies. "Luc was one of the first Pokémon I met when I came to this world. We were — and are — the same age, so he's always known how to talk to me. But…" She pauses for a long moment. "I never told him who I really am. I never told him that I'm from the human world."

I remember that Luc and Helio never mentioned Claire's true identity. "But… why?" I ask. "If you felt you could trust him, why were you so afraid to tell him the truth?"

Claire sighs. "I don't know. Maybe I didn't think he would believe me."

Vexation fills my face. "A real friend would believe you. If you two are so close, then I think you need to tell him."

"You're right," she replies. "It's about time I stopped hiding the truth from everyone. Telling lies has only been hurting me."

We pause our conversation for a short while, focusing on following the river. Then Claire continues her explanation of Team Eternity.

"Luc and I always loved to explore," she begins. "We've probably seen every inch of Candesca Forest by now. So, when we got a little older, we decided that joining the Adventurers' Guild would be a benefit.

"That's when we met Helio. He was already a part of the Guild, but he explored alone. Aegislash suggested to him that the three of us join together to form a team. At first, he was reluctant, since we're much younger than him, but in the end he agreed.

"We eventually made very good friends with him, and because I knew that our friendships were boundless, I suggested that we name ourselves Team Eternity. Luc and Helio both agreed."

She reaches into her cloak and pulls out a small blue circle, adorned with several silver spirals. In its center is a red hourglass.

"This is the badge that Aegislash made for us," Claire explains. "I've held on to it for all these years, as a reminder that I still have hope."

"So… Luc and Helio — Team Eternity — are the ones who have kept you moving forward?" I ask.

"Yes," she replies. "That, and my drive to get back to the human world… back to Serah. All these years, I've been searching for some way. Maybe I won't find it today, maybe I won't find it tomorrow, maybe I won't find it until the day before I die. But I _will_ find it. That I can promise anyone… especially Serah."

I'm about to reply, but then I hear a noise in the trees above us.

"Did you hear that?" I ask, stopping cold. I don't hear the noise again. "It sounded like something was above us."

Claire looks up towards the trees. "I don't see anything. It's probably just a Pokémon native to the forest."

Agreeing with her, I dismiss the thought and we keep walking. But after a meager few seconds, a blur rushes past us, and Claire is knocked to the ground. It then stops a fair distance in front of us and materializes.

It's a Mega Evolved Blaziken. I notice a brand of some kind on the back of his hand, and upon closer observation see that it is a red psi — the same symbol that was on the sealed doors of Gateway Temple.

"I have finally found you," he says in a fairly baritone voice.

Claire shakes off the beating he gave her and rises to her feet. "Who _are_ you?!" she asks him with anger.

"I am Nix, the hunter of the Null — The legionnaire of the Harbinger of Death, Yveltal."

I recoil. "You're with the Null?"

"Yes," he replies. "And I have come here to fulfill my master's orders. I must bring you to Mount Lumèré, so that he may harvest your Elements and complete the Ritual of Obsolescence."

"The Ritual of Obsolescence?" I ask.

"It is the ritual by which the two worlds will be brought to an end. And in their absence, a new world of both humans and Pokémon will be born."

"How can you believe that's the right thing?!" I demand. "How could the benefits of a single world be greater than the expense of destroying two?!"

Nix sighs. "I do not have time for your insolence. I have come here to fulfill my objective, and I will not fail."

Braixen rushes in front of me. "If you want him, you'll have to go through me first!"

Nix grins fearlessly. "Very well. On your guard!" He rushes towards us, and Claire runs forward as well. When they are about to meet, Nix jukes to the left, causing Claire to run right past him and skid to a stop. He then grabs her hand, throws her wand into the air, and throws her to the ground.

"Pitiful…" he sighs as the wand lands in his waiting hand. "Now, allow me to secure my mark." With that, he sprints towards me.

"Noel, no!" Claire exclaims, unable to help me. But when Nix nearly reaches me, somehow, out of instinct, I rapidly beat my wings and fly above him, and he runs past me.

"How… did I do that?" I ask myself in disbelief as I float to the ground. Nix stops himself and turns around, realizing that he missed me.

"A fair maneuver," he seemingly compliments me, rushing in my direction once again. But he's too late. Claire has already gotten up, and she surges between us and blocks Nix, causing him to drop her wand and recoil.

"I'll take that," she jeers, reclaiming her wand from the ground. "You may be a skilled fighter, but you can't stop _both_ of us."

"Is that so?" Nix asks in response. "Then, please, do your worst!"

I turn to Claire, and we both nod. In unison, we charge at him, Claire with her wand held forward, ablaze. As we near him, I notice him appearing to be channeling, and the brand on his hand glowing intensely. When we reach him, a massive burst of energy envelops the forest in a red light, and both of us are knocked far back.

"Your inferior aptitude holds no dominion over Yveltal's power," Nix remarks as we struggle to get up. But he's too fast. He rushes over and grabs me before either of us can react.

"Put him _down!_" Claire exclaims. Nix flashes the brand on his hand at her, and she falls to the ground in weakness.

"I cannot allow you to intervene in Yveltal's designs," Nix pronounces. He holds his hand over me, and a crimson sphere of chains entangles me, preventing my escape. All I can do is helplessly watch Claire struggle to break free of Nix's magic as he dashes off with me in his hands.


	13. Chapter XI

**_~Noel~_**

The trees fly by as Nix runs, seemingly faster and faster, through the forest. I don't know where he's taking me, although I remember him mentioning a mountain.

"We are almost at our destination," Nix says to me. "Do not fear. Soon, your suffering, as well as that of every other being in the two worlds, will end."

I breathe heavily in anger. "The only suffering they'll know will come from the worlds' destruction!"

Nix smirks. "You simply do not understand. Humans and Pokémon suffer because of the two worlds' corruption. And this corruption is fueled by their separation. By creating a new world, shared by them both, all corruption and suffering will cease to exist."

"How can you believe that?!" I demand. "You can't just get rid of pain and suffering. If they didn't exist, the world would be thrown out of balance!"

Nix sighs heavily. "Clearly, it is futile to try and convince you of the rationale of the Ascended. All will become clear in due time."

Outraged, I struggle to break out of the magic barrier placed around me, to no avail. All I end up accomplishing is tiring myself out.

"Do not waste your energy," Nix says. "Yveltal requires you in optimal condition before he extracts your willpower. So, please… rest."

I don't want to listen to him, but lethargy is beginning to overtake me. I eventually lose all my strength and find it hard to keep my eyes open. I fight to find my vitality, my will, any solution to escape… but my eyes eventually close, and my consciousness fades away.

§§§

The cool, relaxing spray of the fountain greets me as I approach the center of the hedge maze. The Garden of Avidity is its name — one of our city's crown jewels. People often come here to repose, take a long walk, or simply think about their futures.

I am the only one in the garden, so the only sounds I hear are the trickling of the fountain and the chirping of birds. I feel at rest… at peace. I feel as though I am truly free.

As I approach the fountain, I close my eyes and let its gentle spray cool me from the scorching heat of the summer sun. A calm breeze kicks up, ruffling my hair and stroking my skin.

"Noel!"

I jump, knocked out of my repose, and turn around to see my friend Yann approaching me.

"Yann… what are you doing here?" I ask him.

"I need to talk to you," he replies. "It's important."

"Alright…" I walk over to him. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

He utters a heavy sigh. "Noel… I'm leaving. My parents are making us move."

I nearly gasp. "Wh… why? You told me your parents came here because they loved this city."

"That's what I thought as well…" he replies. "But apparently they've found somewhere they like better. We're leaving tomorrow."

"B-But… you can't!" I nearly exclaim. "I've known you since we were kids… you can't leave now!"

He sighs. "I'm sorry, Noel. If I could convince my parents to stay, I would. But their minds are set. I'm leaving, and there's nothing either of us can do about it."

Both of us remain quiet for a long while.

"We can still keep in touch," Yann finally says. "We just won't see each other in person anymore."

"It's not the same," I sternly argue. "I'll never get to see your face again."

I hear laughter behind us. Yann and I both jerk around, and I take two steps backward when I see who is floating in front of us.

Mewtwo.

"Child… perish the thought!" he says to me. He snaps his fingers, and, within seconds, I am once again a Noibat.

"N-Noel?!" Yann exclaims, staring down at me in disbelief.

"Do not fear…" Mewtwo says, grinning. "After the worlds' collapse, all that is wrong will be made right. All corruption, greed, and feud will evaporate. Humans and Pokémon will live together in harmony once more!"

He holds his hand skyward, and the sky quickly fills with billowing red clouds. Then, there is a flash of light in front of us, and the rest of the Null appear.

"Submit, Noel…" Mewtwo growls. "Surrender your willpower to the Harbinger of Death. Grant him the tools for the Ritual of Obsolescence. Only then…"

He snaps his fingers again, and my family appears behind him in a flash of light.

"…will you see your family again."

"Mom?! Dad?! Marceline?!" I exclaim, though I know they cannot understand me. I see them trembling with fear.

"Please! Don't hurt him!" Marceline yells.

Mewtwo drops to the ground and walks closer to me.

"Come, Noel. End these worlds' suffering. Offer yourself to Yveltal. Your soul will be reborn, as well as the souls of those close to you, in the new world. You will be together with them once again, and all will be well."

He clenches his hand into a fist. "And should you not submit to me… you will remain in the Pokémon world for the rest of your existence. And to what avail? Refusing me only condemns another human to face your fate tomorrow."

He closes his eyes. "One way or another… the two worlds will end. But it is your decision whether or not the new world will be crafted in your favor.

He holds out his hand to me.

"So, Noel… what is your choice?"

I do not move for what seems like an eternity. I can either allow the two worlds to be destroyed, in exchange for the rebirth of my soul, as well as those of my family. Or I can refuse Mewtwo, stay in the Pokémon world forever, and delay the worlds' obliteration.

I am torn.

"Please, do not try my patience…" Mewtwo snarls. His hand glows, and he holds it behind him, towards my family. "I presume you would not condone a _forcing_ of your decision…"

"If you do _anything_ to them…" I growl. "I'll tear you to pieces…"

Mewtwo laughs. "Child! Do you not hear what you are saying?" He rises into the air once more. "You cannot so much as scratch me. For you are but a pawn…

"_And I am much more than a mere mortal!_" His voice suddenly gains a nearly artificial tone.

He holds his hands to his chest, and a brilliant red light envelops him. My mouth nearly falls agape when he grows in size, gaining two magnificent large wings, acute talons, and a broad, long tail. Eventually the light fades away in a resplendent flash, and the new being before me spreads its wings.

**"****_I am Ascended._**

**"****_My name is Yveltal. I am the Guardian of Darkness, the Deliverer of Souls, the Harbinger of Death._**

**_"_****_It is no longer necessary for me to take the guise of an inferior being. At last, I have found you… Noel. You are the crux to the oblivion of these errant worlds. Your willpower alone is all I require to deliver them to their end."_**

I step backwards in sheer awe of what is happening. Yann steps back as well.

"B-But, how…"

Awareness bombards me. I realize that I am not dreaming.

**_"_****_I see you have at last realized…" _**Yveltal thunders. He claps his wings, and strange lines of light entangle the nearby air. Then, I recoil.

The gardens around us shatter like glass.

I am now standing atop a mountain. All who remain are myself, Yveltal, the Null, and Nix, who is standing where Yann once was.

"You-" I try to say something, but I can't find the words. "That was all an illusion…"

"Indeed," Houndoom says. "We attempted to forcibly cause you to defer to the worlds' demise. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful."

**_"_****_Perhaps…" _**Yveltal chimes in. **_"However, he needs not to be compelled to submit to our designs. With our combined power, his willpower may be reaped without contest."_**

I look to the ground, and tears begin to form in my eyes.

Has all hope faded?

Is the die truly cast?

Are the ends of the two worlds really at hand?


	14. Chapter XII

**_~Claire~_**

Someone shakes me violently.

"Come on! You're not dead! Just wake up, already!"

I eventually manage to open my eyes, and see that I'm staring into the face of Gengar.

"Now, was that so hard?" he asks teasingly. I groan loudly when I hear his voice.

"_What_ are you doing here?" I ask with vexation, then I remember what had happened. "Wait… where are we?"

Wholly unexpectedly, Gengar slaps me across the face. "Did you hit your head? We're in _Umbra!_ When we found you on the ground in the forest, we walked up to you and said, 'Del! You look a bit worse for wear! We'll get you to the nearest town as fast as we can!' And then you decided to pass out on us."

I hold my head in confusion. "_Must_ have hit my head. I don't remember any of that." I pause for a moment. "Wait… who's 'we?'"

"Ah, right, right, right," Gengar replies. "There's someone I think you ought to meet… Claire."

I jerk out of my resting position the second he says my real name.

"How did you-?!"

"Why don't_ I _tell you?" someone cuts me off, before walking into the wrecked building with us.

"Name's Nidoqueen. Guardian of Light told me he needed my help… something about his brother's plan to destroy the world. He told me everything… including your _own _fate."

"The Guardian of Light…" I wonder. "You mean Xerneas?"

"Right," Nidoqueen replies. "He's the one who conjured that blast of magic inside the Eclipsed Ark. He's the one who saved Noel from the Null."

"Saved?!" I demand, struggling to my feet. "He didn't _stop_ them from taking him. Noel is in their hands right now…"

Nidoqueen and Gengar both recoil. "You kidding me?!" Nidoqueen snaps. "Xerneas saved him once, and now he's managed to go and get captured _again?_"

"_It wasn't his fault!_" I snap back at her. "Mewtwo and his goons have been after us ever since we set foot in the ark. Besides…" I look to the ground. "It was _my_ fault he was captured. I couldn't protect him…"

Nidoqueen smirks. "Mewtwo, eh? Let me tell you something you ought to know." She pauses for a moment. "'Mewtwo' never existed. It's just the form that the Harbinger of Death takes when he's away from his source of power."

I gasp. "Mewtwo… is actually Yveltal?"

"That's right," Nidoqueen replies. "He uses it as a guise of lower power. By pretending that he's not actually himself, and instead stating that he '_knows_' Yveltal, he strike fear into anyone's heart and manipulate them to his every will."

I remember what occurred at the ark, and become confused. "Hold on a second… Yveltal had Noel right in his grasp back at the ark. Why didn't he take Noel's willpower then and there?"

"Ah, now that's the snag," Nidoqueen remarks. "Yveltal can only utilize his full power when he's at his place of origin — Mount Lumèré. And anyone could guess that… that is exactly where Noel is now."

"Then we have to save him!" I exclaim, without thinking. "But… we can't. They have six, and we only have three."

"You sure about that?"

"_Yes… _my friends Luc, Helio, and Togetic came with us to the ark. But they were _also_ blasted away by Xerneas's attempt to 'rescue' Noel. And I don't know where they are."

"Then stop looking!"

My head jerks up as he says it, and the next thing I know, Luc, Helio, and Togetic walk into the ruined house. I find my mouth agape in wonder.

"A human, from the opposite world," Luc remarks. "I never would have guessed."

"We're really sorry, Claire…" Togetic says. "All these years, we've been completely in the dark… we had no idea what had actually happened to you. So we could do nothing to help you."

I sigh. "No. It's my fault. I should have told you… but I didn't think I could trust in anyone."

"_Claire,_" Luc says sternly. He walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You can trust me with _anything_. All I want to do is help you… all I want to do is make you happy."

"Hey, same here," Helio follows. "We're all in this together. That's what makes us a team. Team Eternity."

I turn my gaze to them, and smile. "You're right. And… thank you. It's because of you three that I've been able to keep moving forward all these years. You've given me hope… you've given me a reason to keep fighting."

Luc smiles. "Of course, Claire. Anything to see you smile."

For several long moments, none of us say a thing. All we do is revel in the joy of seeing each others' happy faces.

"Alright, lads and lasses," Nidoqueen suddenly breaks the silence. "I think we can all agree what our next goal is?"

"Of course," Luc replies confidently. "Let's get to Mount Lumèré and save Noel!"

"Yeah!" the rest of us reply in unison.

"Hey, _guys!_" Gengar yells, and, apparently having run out of the building, runs back in. "There's a girl crying in one of the buildings over there! _A human girl!_"

All five of us recoil. "_What?!_" I respond in disbelief. Gengar runs off towards the building he mentioned, and we all follow.

When we reach the building, we rush inside erratically, and then we all freeze. What my eyes see in front of us nearly makes my heart cease to beat.

"_SERAH!_"

I bolt over to her and dive to the ground, holding her in my arms.

"Serah… I'm here… I'm… here…" I comfort her in a voice so soft I can barely hear myself. "Everything is alright…"

"Claire…" she replies through her tears. "Is… is that really you?"

"Yes… I'm here… I promised myself I would see you again… And I've finally fulfilled that promise… I've made both of our wishes come true…" My words escape from me slowly and painfully, as an untrue torrent of disbelief and sadness consumes me.

"Wait… how did you _get_ here?" Luc asks her. She quiets her sobbing enough to clearly speak.

"It was… it was _him_…" she replies. I know exactly whom she is referring to: Yveltal. "I was in pain… and I could hardly breathe… He told me my agony wouldn't end until I succumbed to his will…

"So I told him I was at his mercy… and he brought me here…"

I look up at her in confusion. "But… why? What would he gain from bringing you here? And… why didn't he transform you?"

"I just don't know, Claire…" she replies softly. "But… the important thing is… we're finally together again."

We embrace, and I don't let her go for what seems like an eternity.

"Serah…" I softly say. "I'm going to fix this. I'm _not_ going to let Yveltal destroy the two worlds. I promise…"

Serah sniffles. "Claire… that's a promise I don't think you should make…"

I jerk my head up to her. "What?"

"I mean… what can _we_ do? Yveltal is all-powerful… and we're merely mundane… What can we do to stop him?"

"Don't talk like that," Togetic sternly says. "Even in the face of someone like Yveltal… anyone can create miracles. Even when all seems dark… a light of hope always shines through."

"She's right," Luc follows. "We're all in this together. And with our determination combined, there's nothing we can't do."

"Serah…" I follow. "Hope is all we need. Our plight may seem forlorn… but if we work together with determination, Yveltal can do nothing to stop us."

All six of us recoil and shield our eyes as a brilliant red light envelops Serah. Within seconds, the light subsides, and we all stare forward.

I immediately seize my wand when I see who is now standing in front of us.

"You have all only further proven my rationale," Yveltal, in the form of Mewtwo, proclaims. "Mortals wish to do nothing but overtake each other. This includes both humans _and_ Pokémon. It is because of their separation that this greed, avarice, and corruption exists… and the result of that is this. Two errant worlds that merit to die."

"You son of a-"

Yveltal holds out his hand, and pain and weakness overtake me. I collapse to the ground in agony.

"Serah's hope for your safe return is all but asinine," he declares. "For the fate of the two worlds is set in diamond."

"_What did you do to Serah?!_" I demand, ignoring the pain and rising to my feet.

"Child… calm yourself. I have no means of upsetting the opposite world without the power of a human's Elements. But not just a median human's Elements will suffice… I require a human with exceptional spirit, emotion, and intelligence.

It is for this reason that Noel was called to this world…" He turns to me. "…and the same reason that your willpower was of no use to me… it is far too negligible.

"However… It is my obligation to offer you a fleck of gratitude. Your essence, on the other hand, has proven quite useful to my designs."

"Wh…what?"

He holds his hand upward, and a sphere of silvery light materializes in his palm.

"An essence. A catalyst for emotions and sympathy. Yours in particular is much stronger than average… It is an exemption. Your emotions are much more potent than those of the average human.

"Perhaps one reason for this is your unwavering love and concern for Serah… which has remained in your heart, despite my removal of your essence.

"But, no amount of determination to save her will change the worlds' fate. When I extract Noel's willpower, all that will remain is to use its power to offset the worlds' equilibrium. Then, the two worlds will die, and the creation of a new world, shared by humans and Pokémon, and free of corruption and avarice, will be Creator Arceus's only obligation."

"_We're not gonna let that happen!_" Luc growls. "We're not going to let you end the lives of millions of humans _and_ Pokémon, just to create a new world shaped in the image of your contemplation!"

Yveltal smirks. "You piteous mortals haven't the slightest idea of with whom you are dealing." He snaps his fingers, and a blast of red light instantly envelops the building we are in, blowing it to pieces and knocking us all to the ground.

"Away from my source of power, I have limitations, yes," he remarks. "However… in my _true_ form, I could slay you _all _with the clap of a wing."

He takes several steps backward. "It doesn't matter to me whether you throw your lives away, or tremble in a corner at the edge of the world, waiting for its destruction. Either way, _the end is at hand!_"

Red light envelops him, and in a flash he's gone.


	15. Chapter XIII

**_~Claire~_**

The six of us omit absolutely no technicalities as we explain to the citizens of Lumina Town the threat to the two worlds. I do not hesitate to tell them of my own fate, as well.

"D-Delphox… I-I mean, Claire…" Gothitelle stutters. "You and Noel… you're transformed humans from the other world?"

"Doesn't seem very believable, does it?" I reply. "But it's true. And… it's because of us that Yveltal was able to obtain the power to destroy the two worlds."

"Well, we have to stop him!" young Phantump exclaims. "But… how?"

"He's right…" his father Trevenant follows. "What can _we_ do to stop the being who controls this world's balance of life and passing?"

The crowd parts as Espurr steps forward and closes his eyes.

"I can see the future of this world… and it is shrouded in darkness…"

"Aw, come on, guys!" Luc responds. "It doesn't matter _how_ powerful Yveltal is. As long as we stick together, we can overcome him."

"He's right!" Togetic follows. "All we have to do is have hope!"

"Because hope is stronger than any divine power in the world!" follows Helio.

The crowd murmurs in uncertainty. Determined to convince them, I step forward.

"Listen… I don't care how stacked the odds are against us. Your world — your _home_ — is in danger. And so is mine. I don't know about you all, but I have someone to fight for. My sister, Serah. I promised her I would see her again, and I can't fulfill that promise if the world we share is destroyed!

"Yveltal calls my world useless and corrupt… as he does yours. But I'm going to prove to him that's not true. Maybe my world isn't his idea of a paradise… but it's my home, and I'll protect it or die trying!

"Now, who's with me?!"

The entire crowd bursts into an uproar. I now know that we're all on the same side.

"We've got your back!" Krookodile exclaims. "We'll do whatever it takes to help you save the two worlds!"

Luc smiles. "Good to know we have all of your support."

"Hey, now!" Nidoqueen chimes in. "Don't forget the Guardian of Light is on our side as well! And it's a good thing, too, because light _always_ triumphs in the face of darkness."

As if in response to Nidoqueen's statement, a deafening noise sounds off a long distance behind us. The six of us turn around, and everyone, including the crowd, backs up enough to see what is happening over the trees of the forest.

Atop Mount Lumèré, a beam of red light is connecting the mountain's peak and the sky. Billowing sanguine clouds are forming above the mountain.

"Dark clouds…" Gengar remarks. "But, that means…"

"He's taken Noel's willpower."

All four of us gasp. "No!" Luc exclaims. "We can't be too late already!"

I notice that a yellow light is beginning to materialize a short distance away from us all. It intensifies, and after a few seconds it takes shape and fades away.

**_"_****_The end approaches rapidly…"_**

"It's him!" Nidoqueen exclaims. "The Guardian of Light, Xerneas!"

He closes his eyes and lowers his head. **_"For the longest length of time, I did not believe my brother truly bore the power to deliver this world to its oblivion. I now know that his power will allow him to liquidate them _****_both_****_."_**

"Well, why don't you do something about it?!" Helio exclaims in question.

**_"_****_I cannot stop my brother unassisted," _**Xerneas replies. **_"Even if my light may bear the power to overrule his darkness… The strength of the Null, coupled with that of my brother, wields the ability to fell me."_**

Luc steps towards him. "That's why you've got us. We're not gonna let this world die… we're not gonna let _either_ of the worlds die. We'll do whatever it takes to help you strike down Yveltal."

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Helio says, stepping forward. "You've got my help also."

I finally step towards him. "And me. If it means saving Serah, I'll do _whatever_ it takes to prevent these worlds' destruction."

Xerneas turns to me, and looks me over. **_"You… You are Claire Reynard. A human… transformed into your current shape by my brother." _**He pauses. **_"My light is capable of reversing the effects of his darkness. Should you succeed in his downfall… I will hold the power to return you, and Noel, to the human world."_**

I step backward, nearly dazed from what he's told me. "You… you… you could… bring me back… to Serah?" I feel faint, but I soon manage to gather my bearings and respond.

"You can count on us. I promise you that Yveltal will not succeed." The others nod in agreement.

Xerneas gazes off towards the mountain, the clouds still gathering above. **_"Time is short…" _**He turns back to us. **_"I will transport the four of you to Mount Lumèré… as close as my brother's power will allow me."_**

He closes his eyes, his antlers radiate a prismatic glow, and the four of us become cloaked in a golden light.

**_"_****_I have bestowed upon you my blessings," _**Xerneas says. **_"This will dampen the effects of my brother's power and allow you to climb the mountain."_**

His antlers radiate light once again, causing us to glow, as well as levitate above the ground.

**_"_****_Good luck, my allies…" _**he tells us. **_"I will assist your fight in any way I find possible, but the fate of the two worlds ultimately rests in your hands…"_**

The crowd before us gives us their last blessings before we are teleported away.

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

I gaze in terror at the crimson clouds beginning to gather near the top of the red beacon Yveltal has created. They eventually form a swirling band around the mountain.

**_"_****_It is time," _**Yveltal growls, turning to me. **_"The end approaches… Soon, the malignancy and avarice that are the human and Pokémon worlds will fade into oblivion. A new dawn approaches…"_**

He claps his wings several times, almost as if fanning the building clouds, and they descend, enshrouding the mountain. I can no longer see the blue sky… only a sanguine dome covering the summit.

**_"_****_The Ritual of Obsolescence commences now…" _**Yveltal snarls. **_"Once again, do not fear, Noel… I will see to it that the souls of you and your family will be reborn in the new world. Your sacrifice for my designs will not be in vain."_**

I want to say something, but I can't find the words. I can't find anything… save for my own fear.

**_"_****_Now, let us begin…"_**

Yveltal spreads his wings, resembling the shape of a Y, and a scarlet light, forming the shape of the psi I will never forget, materializes in front of him. A light of the same hue enshrouds me, and lifts me off the ground. It is then that I hear a horrifyingly familiar sound, and two red chains lash out from the psi and entangle me.

Yveltal closes his eyes, and an extreme pressure suddenly rushes over me. It feels like my veins are filled with lead. My vision is severely blurred, but I can see a silvery sphere of light in front of me. Ever so slowly, it floats away.

When the sphere reaches Yveltal, it appears to vanish into the psi in front of him. Then, everything happens at once. The chains release me, the psi disappears, and the sphere of light around me fades. I fall to the ground.

I try to move, but I can't. Every inch of me is flooded with impossibly potent weakness. A stabbing migraine rages in my head.

**_"_****_It is done…"_** I barely hear Yveltal snarl. **_"I have taken possession of your willpower. Do not fear… With the absence of your Elements, your life will slowly fade away. The suffering you have known is nearly over."_**

I barely manage to turn my head and see a disc of crimson light appearing next to Yveltal. I realize that it is a portal. Inside it, I see nothing but a world of imperial red light, occasionally broken by white flashes of lightning.

The Null file into the portal, and Yveltal is the last one remaining.

**_"_****_Almia… land of peace…_**

**_"_****_Oblivia… land of order…_**

**_"_****_Kilionea… land of equilibrium…_**

**_"_****_Luxae… land of light…_**

**_"_****_And the world opposite ours, the human world…_**

**_"_****_Your ends are nigh!"_**

He flies into the portal, and the final sound I hear before the world fades to black is his laughter… merciless and cold.

I want to know.

I want to know why.

I want to know why…

Why did this happen to _me_?

Why must _I_ have been the one to bear this fate?


	16. Chapter XIII-2

**_~Claire~_**

The rocky shelves of the mountain fade into focus as we arrive. I gaze up at the summit, but all I see is a dome of red clouds.

"We're running out of time," I remark. "Let's go." We enter the hollowed out mountain through a small cavity in its base. The inside of the mountain is nothing like I expected - a spiraling path winds up towards the summit crater, and down the center is an abyss that falls down into oblivion.

Though the path is gently sloped, it takes us about five minutes to climb to the summit of the mountain, which is quite tall. The path eventually cuts off at an opening that leads back outside.

We exit the interior hollow through this opening, and all of us gasp in shock.

The entire sky is now completely shrouded by sanguine clouds. The air is filled with the same red flecks as Gateway Temple, flashes of white lightning occasionally illuminate the sky, and a powerful wind is blowing, whipping the leaves of the forest's trees into devil whirls.

"It's happening…" Luc says in awe. "The end is coming."

I beckon everyone forward, and we rush up the winding path towards the summit, trying our hardest to resist the gale-force winds.

When we finally reach the summit, I see what looks like a portal, surrounded by rings of white light. Then, I glance a flash of purple against the overwhelming red light of the world, and I stop cold.

It's Noel. And he's lying on the ground, not moving at all.

"_Noel!_" I exclaim, rushing over to him and feeling his chest. He's breathing, but only ever so slightly. Then, suddenly, he slowly opens his eyes and leans upward.

"Claire…" he says, in a near whisper.

"Noel… what happened to you?!" I ask frantically.

"He… he took my willpower…"

"What?! _NO!_" I exclaim. "He's taken all your elements… that means…"

Noel puts a wing to my mouth and stops me from talking. "I don't have much time left…" he whispers, tears falling from his eyes. "I never thought I would live the rest of my life as a Pokémon. But I was wrong…"

"No!" I exclaim in response. "Xerneas has a way! He has a way to change us back! To send us back to the human world!"

Noel takes a deep breath, shaking. "Claire… Please save the two worlds. Keep my family safe… Even though I'll never see them again… please keep them safe…"

His eyes close, and he falls backward.

"_Noel, NO!_" I exclaim. "_You can't! You can't! You… can't…_"

He weakly opens his eyes one final time, and smiles.

"Goodbye, Claire…"

His eyes close for the final time, and he falls to the ground.

"_NOEL!_"

I reject it. I reject the absence of my essence.

I reject it.

I collapse to the ground, sobbing into Noel's lifeless wings. My heart has been shattered into millions of pieces. For what seems like an eternity, everything else fades away, and all I can think of is one thing.

It's my fault. I couldn't protect him.

Noel is dead because of me.


	17. Chapter XIV

**_~Claire~_**

I sob until my eyes are dry. I sob so hard that the shattering world around me fades away.

Is my grief for Noel's death so strong that I've been able to feel it, even without an essence?

"Noel…" I say, drying my eyes and raising my head. "We're going to save the two worlds. I promise."

"Yes…" Luc follows, a similar state of grief on his face. "We won't let it all die. Don't you worry, buddy."

Helio says nothing. He just stares at Noel's lifeless body, tears trickling from his eyes.

I turn around, and see Togetic lying on the ground, sobbing just as hard as I was.

"M-My…" she attempts to say. "My promise… to Noel… I've broken it. Never again will he see his home… his family…" She can say no more before breaking into tears once again.

"Togetic…" I comfort her, leaning down next to her. "It's _my_ fault he's dead. I couldn't protect him from Yveltal… It's not your fault that you can no longer fulfill your promise."

"It doesn't matter…" she replies, still in tears. "Nothing matters… if you've broken a promise, you've broken a promise. And there's nobody to blame for that but me…"

"Togetic," I say sternly, but almost ready to break down once again. "Fate has made its choice. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it's not possible to keep a promise. But you tried your absolute hardest. And I'm certain Noel knows that, too."

Togetic sniffles. "I suppose you're right… Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe none of this was…"

After a moment of silence, Luc stands. "We can't let fate stop us. Even if these worlds are fated to die, we can't spend a minute not trying our hardest to protect them."

"And that's what Noel would want, isn't it?" Helio follows. "We've dragged him through all this. I think we owe it to him to give him the world he wants to see."

I nod. "You're right. Two worlds, living in equilibrium and harmony… that's what Noel wants." I step towards the portal. "Come on. We've got a world to save. _Two_ worlds to save."

Helio and Luc nod, but Togetic remains motionless. "I can't…" she says weakly. "I just can't… Please let me stay with Noel…"

Feeling the same grief she is, I oblige. Taking one last look at the landscape around us, just waiting to collapse into oblivion, I step through the scarlet portal. Luc and Helio promptly follow.

§§§

Awaiting us on the other side is a vile world. We are on an ivory platform, and all around us is a sea of imperial red. The same crimson glints as before fill the air, and flashes of white lightning occasionally pierce the sanguine ocean.

"This place…" Luc remarks. "This must be the manifestation of the oblivion Yveltal has caused.

"Oblivion's Annex."

I take several steps forward, surveying the area around us. "I can't see anything. It's nothing but a sea of crimson."

To all of our surprise, a red light materializes in front of us, and a horde of Drillbur and Hawlucha appear. But then I notice something different about them. They're cloaked in a red aura, and their eyes glow a solid yellow.

"You are the opposers of the fate Yveltal has branded upon the two worlds," one of the Drillbur denounces. "You must learn your place!"

They charge at us. We jolt out of their way, and while they are turning around, Luc creates a sphere of aura between his hands.

"No fate is an eternal brand…" he growls. "Anyone can change the future. And that's exactly what we plan to do!"

He launches the sphere at them, creating an explosion of blue light that knocks them all off the platform, into the endless oblivion of the sanguine sea beneath us. As if in response to our victory, a mass of ivory-colored slabs materialize in front of the platform. They then move themselves into place, creating a massive staircase.

"This is it," I pronounce. "All that's left to do is ascend those steps, and we'll be challenging our fates."

Luc and Helio nod, and we begin to slowly ascend the towering ivory staircase. After about five minutes, we finally reach their peak.

In front of us is another massive white platform. Tall columns adorn its corners, and across from us is a magnificent ivory throne. Behind the throne, seemingly hanging on thin air, lies a white clock. Its hands slowly rotate, as if denouncing the time remaining until the worlds' end.

**_"_****_Dreams…"_**

**_"_****_Ambitions…"_**

**_"_****_Desires…"_**

**_"_****_It is these phenomena which inspire us to fulfill our destinies. Which compel us to make the most of every moment of our lives, slowly ticking away."_**

**_"_****_Unfortunately… It is also from these phenomena which the sinful apprehensions of the universe manifest._**

**_"_****_Greed…_**

**_"_****_Hate…_**

**_"_****_Corruption…_**

**_"_****_Maleficence…_**

Yet another brilliant red light manifests before the throne, and then fades away to reveal Yveltal himself. He spreads his wings, a loud grinding of gears sounds off, and the clock behind him ceases to tick.

**_"_****_At last… the end of the two worlds impends! Though my deception of Noel's demise proved to be an unsuccessful attempt to cease your progress, I no longer require such actions. My power is at its peak, and little you are capable of will so much as scratch me."_**

"You're wrong!" Luc exclaims. "It doesn't matter how powerful you are! We'll find a way to change fate!"

Yveltal smirks. **_"It is clear that you are not the naïve mortals I expected you to be. No matter what lies in your path, you will press ever onward, if it means challenging a fate you find unjust._**

**_"_****_However…" _**He beats his wings and rises into the air. **_"The end of your piteous spurning of fate has arrived… For you are foolish to try the patience of the Ascended!"_**

A barrier of light forms behind us, trapping us on the platform.

**_"_****_The fate of the two worlds is immutable. But their destruction will not find you… for you all are branded with the fate of oblivion at my own hand. Now, step forward… and embrace the tender arms of death!"_**

Yveltal folds his wings, and then promptly spreads them once again, creating a slowly expanding dome of red light around us. When it has grown in size significantly, it explodes, knocking us into the air. We fall to the ground, but quickly struggle to our feet.

"Yveltal!" I exclaim. "You've changed me into what I am now, you've taken me away from the world I once knew… But most of all…

"You've separated me from the only part of my old life that matters… _my sister, Serah!_"

I seize my wand and rush towards him. "And for that, you'll pay!" I sweep my wand in front of me, unleashing a colossal wall of fire towards Yveltal. When it reaches him, he cringes.

**_"_****_Wh… What is this…?" _**he asks in wonder.**_ "Has my brother bestowed his divine light upon you?" _**To my surprise, he laughs cruelly. **_"Child… such a meager blessing is futile in the face of death!"_**

"Is it, now?!" Helio asks in response. "Then how about _three_ of that meager blessing?!" He flares the frills on his neck and unleashes a bolt of lightning. Luc launches an aura sphere, and I conjure another wall of flame. The three attacks bombard Yveltal, and he roars in pain.

**_"_****_The Nullified Ones… come to me!" _**he exclaims with heavy breaths. Another scarlet portal manifests above the throne, and the five Null, including Nix, leap down to the platform below.

"Do you defiers of fate have the faintest idea of with what you are dealing?!" Nix questions. "No one being holds the power to alter the fate of the world!"

I clench my wand. "That's where you're wrong, Nix!" I exclaim, running at him. "All you need to change the world is a desire, and enough determination to achieve it!"

We clash, and he attempts to seize my wand from me. "Desire and determination are nothing short of the roots of corruption and greed… the elements which make the two worlds eligible for destruction!"

He knocks me over and takes my wand. He and the other Null then begin to advance on us.

"If you were wise…" Nix growls. "…You would surrender to your fates, and spare yourself the anguish of death by Yveltal's hand."

"Surrender?" I respond. "If you're trying to convince us there's no hope left, you're wrong. We'll fight to the end… no matter how stacked the odds are against us!"

I unleash a minuscule ember, which rushes above the Null. It then drops to the ground and explodes in a star of fire, knocking them away.

**_"_****_Such incessant resolve…"_** Yveltal sighs. **_"If inferior beings such as these are incapable of halting your will, then I shall deliver you to your dénouement myself…"_**

He rises high into the air, and spreads his wings out perpendicularly. They begin to glow a bright red as energy flows into them.

**_"_****_Die in agony!"_**

He somersaults backwards in the air, lowering his elevation, and aims his wings at us. Within seconds, a cataclysmic blast of sanguine red light erupts from them. It then concentrates into a beam, which he sweeps over us.

As the blast reaches us, pain completely overwhelms me. I then begin to lose all my strength and fall into a daze, almost as if the life is being siphoned out of me. I barely manage to turn my head and see that Luc and Helio are succumbing to the same effects.

When the dark energy finally recedes, I can barely keep my eyes open. I feel as if death is caressing me… drawing me ever closer to its vile grasp.

**_"_****_The ends of your lives finally approach…" _**Yveltal snarls. **_"Soon, your suffering will finally cease. And the world I have conceived will, at long last, become reality."_**

I breathe heavier and heavier with the passing seconds. Eventually, the grasp of pain overrules me, and my head drops to the ground. Everything then goes black.

A tear finds its way out of my eye. Is all hope truly lost? Has our struggle for a change of the worlds' fate been futile? Is my life, as well as those of the two worlds, finally over?

I am about to succumb to death when I hear a peculiar noise. Using the absolute last of my remaining strength, I raise my head upward to see a small white light manifesting above us.


	18. Chapter XIV-2

"You said it yourself — anyone can change the world! So you'd better not give up!"

"No matter what lies in your path… there's always a way forward!"

"Don't let that Yveltal destroy our home… or yours, Claire!"

"Yeah! Show him you're nothing to be taken lightly!"

"Give him a beating he'll never forget!"

"Don't back down! "

"Don't give up!"

"Don't lose hope!"

"You can change the future!"

"I know you're all capable!"

"I see the hope of this world returning… but you mustn't falter!"

"You've got our support!"

"Have hope, and there's nothing you can't do!"

"We believe in you!"

§§§

"…"

"I'm tired of doing nothing! Noel wouldn't have watched you from afar, sending you blessings of hope… He would have fought with you, to the very end. And he would have wanted me to do the exact same.

"So that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

"I don't care how bleak the future appears…

"Even when all seems dark, a light of hope always shines through!"

§§§

**_"_****_The blessings of those who care about you…_**

**_"_****_The desires of countless beings…_**

**_"_****_The manifestation of hope…_**

**_"_****_I bestow them upon you as well!"_**

**_"_****_Noel Lumiére…_**

**_"_****_Claire Reynard…_**

**_"_****_Togetic…_**

**_"_****_Lucario and Heliolisk…_**

**_"_****_Revel in my sacred light, and bestow salvation upon the two worlds!"_**


	19. Chapter XV

**_~Noel~_**

The darkness slowly fades away. Light returns to the world. Strength ever so slowly floods through me. Soon, I am finally able to open my eyes. And, standing in front of me, are Claire, Luc, Helio, and Togetic.

"N-N-Noel…" Togetic says, tears of joy forming in her eyes. "Xerneas saved you…"

I don't say anything. All I do is run up to her, and we embrace.

"I thought I had lost you…" she quietly says. "I thought I had broken my promise. But I was wrong. You're alive…"

"I don't think I was actually dead…" I reply. "Everything was dark, but I could hear your voice. Not just yours, but all the voices of encouragement, urging us not to lose hope."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Claire walking over to us.

"Noel…" she says. "This is all my fault. I couldn't protect you…"

I shake my head. "No. None of this is anyone's own fault… except for Yveltal's. And if we're going to save the two worlds, he's exactly who we need to defeat."

All of us jerk around at the sound of Yveltal exclaiming in pain. A white light is enveloping him, while the rest of the Null can do nothing but watch. Eventually, the light implodes, knocking him and the Null to the ground. A ripple of energy rushes over the platform, and the clock behind the throne once again begins to tick.

**_"_****_N-No…" _**he says exhaustedly. **_"This is nothing as I had foreseen…"_**

"That's because you never believed in hope," Claire sternly says, walking towards him. "The voices of encouragement of thousands of Pokémon… If they have a thing to say about it, they won't let their world die. And I won't let the human world die, either!"

"None of us will!" I exclaim, stepping forward. "The paradise you've envisioned is nothing more than a fantasy! Corruption and greed will always exist in the world, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Hey, maybe the world won't be perfect," Helio follows. "But it's our home!"

"And any home is worth saving!" Luc follows.

"You think there's no hope left for the two worlds…" Togetic concludes. "But you're wrong. Even when all seems dark, a light of hope always shines through!"

Claire slowly steps further forward and seizes her wand from where Nix had dropped it.

"Maybe we're not omnipotent and Ascended like you. But we have the power of hope on our side. And hope can overcome any obstacle!

"We've come here for one reason, and one reason only.

"We've come here to save the two worlds.

"And if that's to happen…"

She points her wand at Yveltal.

"You've got to go!"

Yveltal ascends to his position above the throne. **_"Very well… If you so wish to prolong your own suffering, then so be it!"_**

He claps his wings, creating another blast of scarlet light, knocking us to the ground.

"We won't falter in the face of death!" Claire exclaims as we all get up. "Even if it means sacrificing ourselves to save the world!"

She unleashes another wave of fire, which bombards Yveltal, and he cries out in pain.

**_"_****_Xerneas's light… the one counter to my darkness…"_**

"It's not just that," I say. "The hope you refuse to believe in is what's _really_ helping us. Sure, light defeats darkness, but when it is backed by the hope and support of thousands, it can blaze through anything in its path!"

I unleash a blast of sonic energy, and Yveltal cringes.

"Your smoke and mirrors doesn't work on us," Helio says. "Trying to tell us that all hope is lost won't make us back down!"

"We're a team! We stick together through thick and thin, through light and darkness, through the impossible!" Luc follows. They launch their own attacks at Yveltal. He appears to be wounded.

"The light of hope can pierce even the most stygian darkness…" Togetic says, her eyes closed and her hands held to her heart. "And we'll do whatever it takes to convey our hope to the fate of the two worlds!"

A light envelops Yveltal, and he cries out in anguish, dropping back to the ground.

**_"_****_Such recalcitrant pawns…" _**he growls. **_"You will taste agony!"_**

Using his diminished strength, he flies into the air and absorbs energy into his wings once again. He then unleashes his power, and the force of darkness envelops us once again. This time, however, when the darkness clears, none of us are so much as scathed.

**_"_****_Wh… what is this?!" _**Yveltal exclaims in question.

"It's the light of hope protecting us," I reply. "No matter how much power you have, the rest of the Pokémon in this world are on our side. They will that the two worlds remain intact, and their will has the power to overrule your sovereignty!"

All four of us begin gathering energy for one final attack. To our surprise, a ghostly image of Xerneas fades into focus behind us.

**_"_****_Yveltal… the Harbinger of Death… the Guardian of Darkness… my brother…_**

**_"_****_Your dark reign over this world has persisted long enough. It is, as Noel has said, the will of all the Pokémon in this world, as well as Creator Arceus and myself, that the destruction of the two worlds is adjourned._**

**_"_****_Now, take your leave of this world! For the dawn of a new legend begins today!"_**

Xerneas's antlers resonate, and Yveltal is shrouded in light. At the same moment, the four of us unleash our attacks. The entire platform is enveloped by a massive explosion, and Yveltal and the Null are knocked off the edge. All we hear are their anguished cries as they fall into the endless oblivion below.

For a very long moment, none of us say anything, and only breathe heavily.

**_"_****_It is done…" _**Xerneas denounces. **_"The Harbinger of Death is no more. The destruction of the two worlds has been halted. All is well once again."_**

"Yeah!" Luc exclaims. "We did it, guys! We saved not just this world, but both of them!"

Still half in shock, the rest of us do nothing but nod in agreement. A noise then sounds off behind us, and we turn around to see five silvery spheres materializing in front of the ticking clock.

Three of them rush to me, and disappear into my heart.

"My Elements…" I realize. I feel no effect, as they had not left me for very long. But when I see the other two spheres rushing towards Claire, I know exactly what is coming. The silvery orbs dissolve into her, and, for the first time I can remember, she smiles.

"My… essence…" she quietly says. "For the first time in three years, I can feel emotions once again…" A tear falls from her eye.

I then notice many other silvery spheres appearing in front of the clock, and floating upward.

**_"_****_The spirits of all the humans condemned to the same fate as you…" _**Xerneas says. **_"They have finally been released from Yveltal's grasp, and are now returning to those humans."_**

He steps forward. **_"Now, allow us to leave this defiled place."_** His antlers resonate once again, and a light cloaks all of us. Within moments, we are gone from the vile realm where Yveltal's oblivion once existed.


	20. Chapter XVI

_**~Noel~**_

As we arrive, we all turn back towards the mountain. The pillar of scarlet light vanishes, and the billowing sanguine clouds begin to clear. The gathered crowd behind us erupts into applause of gratitude.

"You've done it!" Dragonair exclaims.

"The threat to the two worlds is no more!" Aegislash follows.

"You showed that Yveltal that darkness is no match for the light of hope!" Krookodile concludes.

Yveltal turns to us. **_"Noel Lumiére… Claire Reynard… Togetic… Lucario… Heliolisk… Because of your actions, the two worlds have known salvation. I, as well as Creator Arceus, offer you my eternal gratitude."_**

"Of course," Claire replies.

**_"_****_And now… It is time I offered you the reversal of Yveltal's dark power. If you so desire, I will send you and Noel back to the human world, as you were before you were called here."_**

Luc and Helio gasp. "C-Claire… you're leaving?!" Helio exclaims.

"Helio… I have to," she replies. "Serah needs me. And I can't allow myself to be away from her any longer."

"Yeah, but…" Luc replies. "What about our pact? We agreed that we would never separate. We agreed that our friendships would be eternal… that's why we're Team Eternity, right?"

Claire takes a deep breath, looking ready to shed tears, and walks over to them.

"Luc… Helio…

"What I told you was wrong.

"I was wrong in saying that we would be eternal.

"Because, everything in the universe, sooner or later, must come to an end. Perhaps after a millisecond, perhaps after a thousand lifetimes… But nothing can exist forever. However, there are two exceptions.

"Love and friendships.

"No matter how great the distance is between us…

"Even if we are separated for the rest of our existence…

"Our friendships will never fade. They are protected by a force that refuses to let them shatter in the face of time.

"And, as I said, another force immune to time's influence is love. And my love for Serah is too strong for us to be separated any longer."

Luc and Helio are now crying. "We understand…" Luc sniffles. "And, we agree. Even if we never see each other again, the friendships we've shared won't ever be forgotten…"

Claire walks closer to them. "I'll miss you both…" She turns to the crowd. "And I'll miss you all… But I've left Serah for five years. And she matters to me more than anything else in the universe. I have to return to her…"

Gothitelle turns her head down. "Of course…" she says. "We know how much your sister is worried about you. She may not even know you're still alive. And returning to her is the exact thing you should do."

Claire sniffles. "Thank you all for understanding…" is all she replies, and slowly steps over to Xerneas.

I turn my head forward, and see Togetic walking up to me.

"Noel…"

We run towards each other and embrace, crying softly.

"I knew this day would come…" she quietly says. "But it still breaks my heart to see you leave…"

"I know…" I reply. "But, just like Claire, I have a family, and I'm certain they're worried to death about me. I want to stay here with you… I really do…"

"No," she replies. "No matter how much I wish to see you stay… I know you can't.

"Because I made a promise.

"I promised you that I would get you home.

"And my promise is finally being fulfilled…"

We remain motionless for several long moments, saying nothing.

"Thank you, Togetic…" I finally say. "When I was lost, you showed me the way. When all seemed dark, you showed me a light of hope. As long as I was with you, I had nothing to fear. And, though coming to this world was an amazing experience…

"None of it would have been the same if it weren't for you."

She looks up at me, and smiles. "Thank you, too, Noel… You've been the greatest friend I've ever met. I no longer have a family… but being with you has been like having one again…

"Thank you… Thank you, Noel…"

We do not move for what seems like an eternity. Then, we relish in each other's warmth for one final second, and our embrace ends.

**_"_****_It is time…"_** Xerneas pronounces. **_"Is it your wish to return to the human world?"_**

For an uncomfortably long moment, both of us say nothing.

"Yes," we both finally reply in unison.

**_"_****_Very well…"_**

Xerneas lowers his head, and his antlers resonate. After several seconds, I am wrapped in a golden light. I look over to Claire, and the same is happening to her. I then look over to Xerneas. It almost appears as if a tear is forming in his eye.

**_"_****_Farewell, heroes of the two worlds… Your valiant deeds will never be forgotten…"_**

His antlers resonate one final time, and we begin to slowly ascend, wrapped in golden light.

"Farewell!" Dragonair exclaims.

"Stay on the right path!" Gothitelle follows.

"Don't let your noble acts end here!" Aegislash follows. "Continue to spread hope throughout your world!"

"Don't forget us!" Luc and Helio exclaim.

Espurr steps in front of the crowd, looks up to us, and smiles.

"I can see your future… and it is filled with light and benevolence."

As we ascend ever higher into the shimmering sky, the waving Pokémon below us grow smaller.

Tears still fill my eyes. I am aware of the fact that I will never hear Togetic's voice again. But I know I will never forget her.

§§§

We've spent quite a long while ascending into the sky, when Claire finally breaks the silence.

"It's been five years…" she says. "I'll finally get to see Serah's face again… the shimmering coastline of our hometown…" She looks down at herself. "I'll finally inhabit my human body once again."

I look over to her. "I wish you the best of luck in your life… and hopefully, someday, we'll meet each other again."

She nods. "I'll be looking forward to it."

We look upward, and notice a rippling in the sky above us. We immediately know that it is almost time for us to return.

"See you soon, Noel."

"See you soon, Claire."

I take one final look at the Pokémon world below us as it fades away.


	21. Epilogue

_**~Claire~**_

The summer wind strokes my skin, and I am fondled by the sunset's golden rays. I am standing on our white balcony, looking out to the sun-dappled ocean. Many familiar sights and feelings I have not experienced for five years.

When I finally turn around, I see her.

Serah, a smile on her face, and tears falling from her eyes.

"_Serah!_"

"_Claire!_"

I run to her, and we embrace as we never have before. She quietly sobs, and I comfort her, tears in my eyes.

"Serah…

"It's okay…

"Everything's okay…

"I'm here now…

"And no matter what happens…

"No matter what the universe demands…

"I will _never_ leave you alone again.

"That's a promise."

For a very long interlude, we embrace. When the tears finally subside, I wrap my arm around her shoulder, and we slowly walk towards the edge of the balcony.

It's quite fitting that Desire's Sunset has shown itself on the day of our reuniting.

Because my desires have finally been fulfilled.

§§§

**_~Noel~_**

My eyes slowly open, and the world fades into light. I sit up to find that I am laying on my bed. And I look down at myself to find that I am human again.

But then I notice something else.

Around my neck is the blue scarf Togetic gave me.

I sigh heavily as thoughts of her rush to me. She is the reason I've made it back to my home. She is the one who quelled my fears of being in another world, and opened my eyes to its wonders.

She is the truest friend I have ever known. And though I may never see her again…

She will always rest within my memories.

§§§

* * *

_Thank you, Noel…_

"And thank you, Togetic."

**_The End_**


End file.
